The Boy Who Might Live
by htbookreader1
Summary: Cedric Diggory's side of The Goblet of Fire...from the moment his name comes from the goblet of fire...there's trouble brewing...he starts dreaming about his oncoming death and who comforts him? Hermione? find out read and review
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone this is my second story. Like always the characters of this story do not belong to me...they belong to J.K. Rowling and may I say...she's done a pretty good job of things.

_"Life is a chance to grow a soul" __A. Powell Davies_

**Chapter 1: The Announcement**

There was a silence that filled the entire Great Hall

The lights were dim as the candles flickered in the non-existing wind. Every eye was locked onto the Goblet of Fire. Every ear longed to hear the Headmaster call out the Hogwarts Champion. At last out from the Goblet shot out a tiny piece of paper. A third and final name slowly fell towards the earth, towards the headmaster's open palm. At last he held it in his hand and opened it up to look at the name.

"The Hogwarts Champion," exclaimed Dumbeldore, "is Cedric Diggory."

The boy named Cedric arose from his seated position at the Huffelpuff table. His palms were clammy and his legs shook. He had hoped that his name wouldn't be chosen. In fact he had stayed up the night before and prayed for it.

All of his friends, even his girlfriend Cho Chang, all agreed that he should put his name into the Goblet of Fire. And Cedric went along with the game, because that's all he thought of it, just as a game. But it wouldn't become anything real. It couldn't. There was no way he could possibly represent Hogwarts to the rest of the Wizarding world. He'd make a mockery of Hogwarts.

The golden haired boy walked past rows of his classmates and friends. They each held a grin on their lips. Cedric walked through the Ravenclaw tables. He passed Cho who blushed as he looked at her. He smiled and shook his head. Then he walked past the Griffindor tables. He looked at the boy who lived, Harry Potter, cheering for him and Harry's friends do the same. There was the big redheaded one with the freckles who clapped his great hands loudly, and the bushy blond one, Hermione who politely applauded. She smiled at him. He couldn't help but smile back and already the weight upon his shoulders felt lighter.

Cedric continued through rows and rows of his peers gazing up at him with awe. At last he made it to Dumbeldore. Dumbeldore clasped him on the shoulders and smiled warmly down at him, in a way that his own father might have done. This, like Hermione's smile, brought warmth to Cedric's terrified heart. Dumbeldore motioned for Cedric to go to the trophy room to join the other champions. He whispered how proud he was of Cedric.

As he walked towards the trophy room, he pictured his father's face when he was informed of the news. Cedric knew that the ministry would inform Mr. Diggory via owl but in his mind he pictured what he'd say to his dad.

_Hey dad._ He'd have begun with a giddy grin on his face.

Now Cedric could almost see the scene in his mind.

_What is it? _Mr. Diggory would raise one eyebrow with caution, but a smile would break through his lips nonetheless.

_I'm a triwizard champion. _It would come out in a flurry of words. His reply would spill out onto the floor. But his dad would still be able to catch every word that escaped from his son's mouth. This was the moment Mr. Diggory had been waiting for.

"Now he'll finally, really, honest to God, be proud of me," Cedric thought. But the thought of being a triwizard champion still tasted bitter to his tongue. He couldn't really form the words. He was ashamed of his feelings, but as ever he'd become a natural at hiding them.

So he pushed his own regrets inside of his heart as he pushed open the door to the trophey room.

Inside the room, stood the two other champions from Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. Both students were watching Cedric intently as he walked inside the room and walked towards them. The one from Durmstrang, Victor Krum, was glaring at Cedric. Victor was Cedric's age but he looked much older. He carried himself with the supriority of an adult and he was quite tall. The Dumstrangs had been assured all the heat that they wanted and the fire place in the trophey room was lit, but Krum still wore a thick burley coat and a big hat.

The girl from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour was gazing up at Cedric dizzily. She had deep mistly blue eyes and thick golden hair.

_She is quite beautiful_ Cedric thought to himself. But as he looked intently into her eyes, and tried to see past into her head, he found out that there wasn't much past the beauty. Immidetly he found that he was disgusted by her. The beauty that had turned on his heart now revolted him. Had she worked her ways on more then one poor guy.

Then Cedric began to feel ashamed of his own looks. He knew that girls looked at him the same way that he had gazed at Fleur, but he suddenly felt imensly bad for all of the girls that had ever loved him from afar. But then he shrugged off those feelings.

All three students were awkwardly silent.

_This isn't a good way to start things off _Cedric reasoned. _What would Dad want me to do?_ Cedric often found himself thinking about what is father would do in trickly situations that Cedric felt he couldn't personally handle. So he mentally closed his eyes and thought of Amos Diggory. Cedric could almost make out his father's glasses dangling from the bridge of his nose. He always wore a happy smile on his face.

He knew his wise father would want him to start the conversation. It didn't have to be intelleget, and it didn't have to be smart, but as long as there was something for the three to discuss, maybe that would grow to acceptance. So the Hufflepuff boy cleared his throat and began.

"Did anyone read about that Quidditch game last night? Boy that was something wasn't it?"

Fleur raised her eyebrow but Krum responded, "Yeah but get this, I didn't hear about it. I was there."

"Really?"

"I know the manager of the Scottish team, he was able to get a couple of tickets for me and my friends," explained Krum.

This was going better than Cedric expected. Maybe a little more participation from Fleur would have been nice but this was okay with just the guys talking. The boy's flutters were starting to calm themselves down a bit. He was starting to relax and laugh with the Bulgarian when an unexpected face appeared from the doorway.

**Okay. That was the first Chapter. I'm not sure how it's all going to work out but I think it'll be okay. Please tell me what you think of this. Feedback is soooo much appreciated that I'd hug you all for doing this. **


	2. Chapter 2

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count

_And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years._

_Abraham Lincoln_

**Chapter 2: Two Champions for One School? **

Into the trophy room stood a small figure. Cedric wasn't able to make him out very clearly. The figure walked into the room slowly. As the firelight caught his frame, Cedric saw that the boy was Harry Potter. Even before his glasses, or jet-black hair, were in clear view, Cedric saw the lighting bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry gave a small shrug. He was shorter than Cedric, Krum, or even Fleur, but he walked with the weight of an adult. His green eyes were dark even in the firelight, and he wore a frown on his face.

"What's going on?" Cedric asked stepping closer to Harry. "Is everything okay?"

Harry looked up to Cedric. His face was a mixture of shame and sadness.

This isn't going to be good, is it? Cedric thought bitterly.

"It turns out," began Harry looking down at his feet, "you're not the only Hogwarts Champion."

Cedric's heart thumped against his chest. "What are you saying? Who else is the Hogwarts Champion?"

Before Harry could get a word out, Albus Dumbeldore charged into the room. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and backed him up against the wall. "Harry," he bellowed. "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No!" screamed Harry.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No!"

And now more teachers piled into the trophy room. Karkaroff, the head of Durmstrang, came rushing into the room spitting out accusations. Madame Maxine, the head of Beauxbatons, lumbered in with hellfire and brimstone.

Mad Eye Moody, and Professor Snape followed her into the room. They were spewing their own ideas on the situation. Fleur and Krum stood faithfully beside their teachers' sides silently. But both glared when their teachers glared and their gaze was generally between Dumbeldore and Harry.

And Cedric?

The boy stood off to the side. He tried to block out the screams and watch Harry.

At first Cedric's thoughts of the boy who lived were skeptical and cruel.

_What gave this boy the right to compete against me? What makes him think he can share this title with me? I earned it! I'm older. I'm seventeen. _

But as he looked closer at the boy he realized that Harry was really just a boy. There was no way a fourteen year old would willingly sign up for what Cedric was sure, would come. No. Someone had put Harry's name in the Goblet. All you had to do was look at Harry's face to see that he didn't choose this path.

He tried to catch Harry's eye. He wanted to tell him, via eye contact, that Cedric didn't mind sharing the position of Hogwarts Champion with him. It didn't really matter to him. All of this he wanted to convey with just his eyes, not a very easy task. But he was able to lock his eyes onto Harry's and he gave the boy with jet-black hair a nod, and a smile.

The wise wizard adults seemed to come to the same conclusion: let Harry stay and compete. Did they bother consulting the champions in their decision? No. But Cedric didn't care.

He kept the same thoughts in his head as he tiredly walked up the steps to his common room. Cedric let his feet drag him to his bedroom and eventually his bed where he let himself glide down onto the comfy mattress.

It was that night when the dreams began.


	3. Chapter 3

_True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness Albert Einstein _

**Chapter three: To Dream the Morbid Dream**

It hadn't started out weird. In fact the dream was quiet innocent in the beginning as most dreams are at the start of them. Cedric found himself walking through a long dark hallway. He sensed that he was inside of some building, but then the cement walls turned into bushes.

That was pretty weird.

Then the bushes attempted to attack him. They shot out of the ground and tried to lock his legs and pull him under. At first he was able to fight off the giant roots, by kicking at them. But then one of the roots wrapped itself around Cedric's legs.

That was weird too.

But it got even worse when, not only did the root achieve victory and grab him, but also it started sucking him into the bushes. It was pulling him closer towards death. In just a few seconds he wouldn't be able to see anymore. He wouldn't be able to breath. He'd lose his brainpower.

That was when he saw that hand. There was nothing else, just bushes and roots entangling him, but there was that hand. It seemed to come from a place where there were no more bushes. But try as Cedric might he couldn't seem to reach the hand. If he could just inch himself a little closer to the fingertips of the hand…he'd be free.

Then he heard a voice. "Grab my hand Ced!"

Immediately Cedric shot out from his bed.

He realized that tiny drops of water were falling from his head. He had been panting as well and his palms felt moist. That had been one intense dream. Cedric had almost died. He had almost been saved. What did that mean?

Now Cedric Diggory was not one who normally thought that there was any meaning to dreams, but it seemed that this particular one was so real. He stood up from bed and shook his head from side to side. There had to be a logical explanation for this recent morbid dream.

_Okay,_ thought Cedric. _Let's think for a minute. The roots and vines could be a metaphor for my father, trying to pull me into his world. _

Well that sort of made sense, but then what about that mysterious hand? And where did the voice come from? Was that the owner of the hand? All of these questions collided in Cedric's brain threatening to kill him.

What was he going to do now?

Cedric had no idea. He could ask one of his friends for help, but they might think he was crazy. "It's just a dream," they'd explain calmly. "Maybe you're a little nervous and your nervousness trickled into your subconscious."

But he wouldn't believe it. That dream, if it was really a dream, was too real to be caused by mere nerves.

Could he come to his dad for help?

Cedric shook his blond hair from side to side and sighed. That was a no too. His dad would smile kindly and produce the same answers his friends would give.

_You're just nervous son. _Dad would say. _It's perfectly logical to be scared but you're going to be great. You're my son. You'll succeed. _

Cedric certainly didn't feel like he'd succeed at anything now. He closed his eyes and started breathing slowly and calmly. Cedric stood up and walked out of his dormitory to the common room he shared with the rest of the Hufflepuffs. He flopped onto one of the chairs and then jumped up with fear.

The fear was because he was not the only one down here. Sam Markson was also sitting in the common room. Sam had been Cedric's friend for as long as Cedric had been at Hogwarts. Sam had long, uneven brown hair that fell to his eyes. He was tall, and gangly with big hands and black eyes. And now he sat staring at Cedric. This was what caused Cedric to jump.

"Feeling all right Ced?"

Once Cedric had regained his breath he managed a chuckle. "Sure I guess."

"Nightmare?" Sam was a good guesser.

Cedric nodded.

"Was it really weird?" asked Sam.

"I don't think anyone would be able to understand it, that's how weird and crazy it was," explained Cedric.

"Anxiety dream?"

"Death dream."

At this Sam looked away from Cedric out at the window. His eyes had a far away look as he tried to answer a question, which he could not and had no words for. At last he turned back to Cedric.

"I can't solve your dream Ced, but I think I know someone who might be able to help you."

Cedric's eyes were wide. This was the best news he had heard all night, even better than the triwizard stuff. "Who?"

Sam beckoned Cedric to lean closer towards him. "Go to the library tomorrow," explained Sam. "On third shelf on the right hand side, there's this book. I think it's called Wizards and their dreams. It's supposed to help wizards with confusing dreams that they can't explain."

Cedric smiled. "Who wrote this book?"

Sam shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me, but I've heard it's helpful."

Cedric laughed. "Thanks, I'm going back to bed."

"I'll be here."

The boy called Cedric started walking up the stairs towards the dormitory when Sam called, "Hey Ced!"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations on being the Hogwarts Champion. You'll make your dad proud, I'm sure of it."

Cedric shrugged. "Yeah I think so, or at least die trying."


	4. Chapter 4

_Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile Albert Einstein_

**Chapter four: Libraries and Critics **

The next morning, bright and early, Cedric walked down to the library. Along the way he passed by two boys. Each had a button of Cedric's face on it that said, "Cedric rules." He didn't know what to do but smile sheepishly down at them.

Once they saw his smile they took it as some sort of a cue to push their buttons and suddenly Harry Potter's face appeared. Above his head read, "Potter stinks." Then the two boys pushed past Cedric and ran away.

The handsome boy walked the rest of the way to the library without any spring in his step. His thoughts twisted from the stupid button to his nightmare again.

_You promised you wouldn't think about it again Ced_. He had been trying to forget that dream, but to no success.

Finally he reached the library. He was happy that the school had such a large selection of books, no one would see him, and no one would talk to him.

_Or wave the buttons in my face._

The librarian didn't notice as Cedric passed him. He followed Sam's directions to the book that would hopefully answer his problems and nightmare. The third shelf on the right hand side of the library was a small section. No one came there much and the books were all dusty looked like they hadn't been read for years. Cedric ran his finger along the covers trying to find Wizards and Their Dreams. At last the golden letters caught his eye and he greedily pulled out an ancient copy of the book. A smile sprang to Ced's face as he looked over the table of contents. There was a chapter completely dedicated to nightmares. He was in luck. He was content. This was going to be a good day.

Or not.

There was a small cough behind him. The cough was small and docile but he still jumped and turned suddenly. He faced a girl with blond and brown hair that was bushy and curly. She had misty gray eyes and smiled at him. The boy realized that the girl who stared at him was the same girl who stared at him yesterday…Hermione Granger.

He returned her smile with a grin.

"You're interested in the subconscious?" she asked curiously.

"Just my subconscious."

Hermione crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

Cedric answered her confused expression. "I'm trying to solve my nightmares. They were…well one was…pretty weird and I want to figure this out."

_What am I doing telling her this stuff? I barely know her!_

He couldn't understand why he had just said those things. Suddenly his hands, which gripped the book, got very sweaty. His breaths came out a little raspy.

"If you really want to get the answer to your problem," piped up Hermione, "you might not want to read that book. It's just a bunch of garbage."

Cedric dropped his mouth looked at the book and then looked at the odd creature standing before him. "How do you know that?"

"I've read it before." It was a pretty matter of fact answer.

"You've read it before?" he repeated with disbelief.

"Twice, just to make sure I knew it was rubbish."

Cedric looked back at the book. "It's really not helpful?"

Hermione shook her head from side to side.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to be okay that he wouldn't likely ever find out the meaning of the creepy dream, but it wouldn't work. Cedric knew it wouldn't work so, very slowly, he turned to face Hermione again who had thankfully remained silent during Cedric's inner thoughts.

"Do you know how I can find an answer?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I could help."

Cedric smiled. "I don't think so."

"You don't think I could do it?" she asked crossly.

"It's a really weird dream," he tried to explain.

"Bring it on."

Cedric laughed. He cocked his head to one side and looked intently at the girl with gray eyes standing before him. "Would it change your mind if I told you it was about death?"

Hermione copied Cedric's actions and said, "I think I can handle that."

The boy sighed loudly. "I'm walking through a hallway, a normal hallway. Then the walls fall away to reveal these bushes. The bushes start tangling their roots and branches around my legs and arms. I start thrashing around and around—"

"Wait," said Hermione, "do you mind if I take notes?"

Suddenly she pulled out a piece of paper and a quill from her bag. She bade Cedric to sit on the floor and she joined him.

"Is this going to take long?" he asked sensing a familiar setting, taking place.

"Just start talking," said Hermione writing down what Cedric had first told her.

"So I start thrashing around and around, when suddenly this hand comes out of no where comes this hand. And the hand is trying to grab my hand. Then I heard a voice that said, 'Grab my hand Ced!'"

Hermione looked down at her notes she had taken during their "session," and then looked up at Cedric. She gave him a small sympathetic smile of encouragement; it was similar to the one she had given him last night during the announcement. Cedric sighed inwardly. _Last night feels like so long ago._

"Do you know what it means?" he asked her after nervously awaiting her long silence for too long.

The girl opened her mouth to speak when a voice behind them called, "Ceddy!"

The Hufflepuff boy and the Gryiffindor girl turned around to face the Ravencalw beauty Cho Chang.

**Okay, so that's my fourth chapter...what do you guys think so far?? should there be a cho vs hermy thing for ced? i haven't decided yet**

**thanks to time lord for the constant reviews, i'm appreciating it...take care of yourselfs all readers...bye**


	5. Chapter 5

_Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die Amelia Burr_

**Chapter five: My lover…my friend?**

Being caught between a rock and a hard place wouldn't even begin to describe the pickle that Cedric was in. His girlfriend, Cho Chang, stared at him with cold stony eyes. If that wasn't bad enough, behind her were five of her friends and they stared at Cedric just as darkly as their leader, Cho, did.

Cho and Cedric had started going out the previous year. They were in love, in lust, inseparable. But this year Cedric noticed things were a little different. Cho used to keep her eyes on him all the time, as he did with her. He could have been anywhere in the castle, and he would know that she wanted him. He would know that she missed him, and she needed him.

This past month, he had noticed her eyes lingered on others. True, she had urged him to put his name in the Goblet of Fire. In fact he remembered that moment very clearly.

It was right after Transfiguration class. As soon as he walked out of the class he saw Cho and grabbed her anxiously to kiss her. But suddenly she pulled away from him, a smile on her face.

_Ceddy? _A question lingered on her lips.

_Yeah love? _He had been a little confused that she had stopped him from kissing her.

_I think you should enter the Triwizard Tournament. _

There it was finally on the table.

Cedric put his arm around her and sighed anxiously. _Let's talk about this later._

_You'll be really great Ceddy. I'm sure it'll pick you. Once it does the entire school will know your name. You'll be famous, and I'll be by your side. _

He had smiled then. He had kissed her lips lightly. He told her, _Sure. I'll think about it at least. I just don't really want any fame or glory—._

Cho had put a finger to his lips and shushed him. Then she kissed him passionately.

Now was not the time for fond memories. Now was the time for quick decisive action as to where to go from here, and what to tell Cho.

"What's going on?" she asked angrily.

Cedric's eyes shifted from Cho, to Hermione who was watching Cho and the rest of her gang.

It was Hermione who surprised everyone with an answer.

"I was helping him with morbid subconscious wanderings of the brain he had while he was slumbering last night."

Cho's eyes, which were fixed on Cedric, now switched gears to Hermione. There were daggers on them.

"What does that even mean?"

Now Cedric didn't know what all of that meant either. But he was annoyed that his girlfriend was butting into this. _This was his life_. She didn't have to know everything. So he turned to her and said flatly, "It means that she's preparing me for the first task so I don't freak out. Because right now, I think I'm going to die. I don't mean eventually, I mean that sometime soon—I'm going to die."

Cho, the raven-haired girl, understood those words. She let out a little gasp and signaled to her friends to leave. They departed in a flock.

Suddenly Cho raced wildly into Cedric's arms. There were tears in her eyes, and they lightly hit Cedric's uniform. He soothing rubbed her back. Despite her constant naggings, and her childish jealously, she cared about him. He smiled through her black hair.

"I'm not going to die," he whispered lovingly into her ear. "I promise you, I'm not going to die."

The Ravenclaw student looked at Hermione. "Take care of him. Make sure that he lives okay?"

Hermione, taken aback by the entire event, nodded silently.

Cho finally let go of Cedric and wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She sniffed. "Just get back to doing, whatever it was you were doing."

Then she left.

Cedric turned back to Hermione like a flash of lightning.

"So? What do you think?"

"She seems a little—"

"I was talking about the dream wise one."

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared just tell me what you think." He was pleading with a fourth year for god's sake. He meant it.

"I mean," said the girl rolling her gray eyes, "that you're scared of this tournament. You don't know what to expect. That's probably what the concrete walls are which turn into the bushes that are attacking you. You're being sucked into this abyss that you didn't want to get into."

She smiled smartly at him.

He returned it mockingly. "What about the hand part?"

The bushy haired girl bit her lip. "I haven't figured that part out yet."

Cedric put his hand to his head. "You have no idea why there's a random hand in my dream that's trying to save me or kill me or whatever?"

"My best guess, right now, is that this hand is trying to save you. But since you can't see this person's face, you don't really trust him or her, and you won't accept the help he or she offers you. Maybe tonight the dream will complete itself for you and you'll see this person's face."

"You want me to sleep to solve my problems?" he asked her with disbelief.

"No. You want you to sleep."


	6. Chapter 6

_The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself _

_Anais Nin _

**Chapter 6: Never ending Nightmare  
**

Cedric had never wanted to sleep more in his life, than that night. But it was really hard to do so. Everyone wanted to talk to him. Everyone from the peppy first years, to the giggling girls in his own year wanted his autograph. And as the good Hufflepuff boy he dutifully signed each one with a grin, and a laugh. There had never been any depth to his laugh; there had never been a true grin in his throat that wanted to come out. But people expected so much from him.

It didn't seem that people expected the same from Harry Potter. The jet-black haired fourth year tried to stay out of the public light as much as possible. That was fine with Cedric, it meant shorter interviews, and less awkward conversations about there being four champions.

His father was coming the next day. As Cedric expected Amos had already been informed of his son's achievement and, from what Ced had heard, Amos was quite pleased. But that made Cedric groan. The only thing he was actually looking forward to in this tournament was taken away from him.

Amos wasn't the only problem that took over Cedric's wonderful day; Cho was acting especially weird that day. She kept staring at Cedric with tears in her eyes that were ready to escape at any moment. During the day the golden haired boy was a little disturbed by his girlfriend's constant watery eyes, but that night as he readied himself for bed, he didn't mind it so much.

_She's actually thinking about me. _A smile pricked his otherwise sullen face.

Maybe this tournament would bring them closer together in a way they needed if their relationship was going to survive the year. Maybe it was good that danger was his constant companion because that would mean she'd be at his side again. She'd love him and want him and need him again.

And Cedric was certain that she had loved him in a way no one ever had before. Cho did not love Cedric the way his father or mother did. She didn't love him the way that his friends loved him and admired him. She loved him the way that was unique for her, and that was what Cedric really needed.

So Cedric went down to bed with thoughts of Cho flowing gracefully in his mind. But he did not wake up with those thoughts…another nightmare waited, beckoning him, waiting for him in the shadows until he drifted into deep sleep.

This time he found himself in a forest. The forest was dense and thick with trees. Cedric tried to get out of the forest. He tried jumping over the trees, or climbing them, but his attempts were useless. So he decided to walk on forward. As he walked deeper and deeper into the dark forest he had the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him.

Cedric tried to turn around and face his potential stalker but he found that he couldn't move his legs. He fell forward. The terrified youth began gasping and chocking for air. He rolled to his back and stared up at his attacker's face.

Victor Krum stared down at Cedric with an evil grin spread across his face. Victor's usual hat and coat were gone. Instead he was wearing some kind of red and black uniform. He carried a wand in his right hand and he pointed it threateningly at Cedric's face.

Cedric tried to search for his own wand to fight but he found that he couldn't move his arms. The beautiful blonde boy opened his eyes to scream for help. He did not want to die. He did not want to die. Not like this. Not paralyzed in the forest staring up at some damn Quidditch player turned evil. But before he could scream for help a dark figure in the shadows shot Krum's wand out of his hand and sent Krum flying away.

"Run Cedric!" yelled the dark shadow.

Then Cedric awoke.

His first thought was that he was happy to be alive. He gratefully looked around his dormitory and wiped the sweat from his brow. He sighed quietly and took a very long deep breath.

Cedric looked down at his body and flexed his fingers on his right hand_. _

_I'm not dead. _He could breathe again.

This dream was even worse than the previous one. True, there had been no rampant bushes shooting out their roots to pull him under. But now there was a person. He had a face to accuse, Krum.

Cedric put his hands to his head. _What could I have ever done to Krum? _

But maybe it wasn't something he had done to Krum. Maybe it was something he _would _do to Krum.

_Wait._ The boy was now beyond confusion. _Does that mean that I can see into the future?_

No.

All sensible arguments told him the same answer, no.

Wizards and witches, though they had magic up their sleeves, did not have any ability to see into future events. Once, when he was a young boy, he had asked his dad that very question.

He was sitting on his dad's knee. _If we're so magical daddy, why can't we see into the future?_

Amos had laughed and fidgeted with his glasses. _Why would you want to see into the future son? Why would anyone want to see into the future when the now is so good?_

_We can stop bad things from happening,_ explained the wise Cedric Diggory.

Mr. Diggory took a sharp inhale of breath and fixed his glasses again. _It's dangerous to have anything to do with the future,_ he tried to explain_, Wizards don't deal with it. It's up to people to fix the now that we live in so we can stop bad things from happing in the future._

His father's explanation had made sense then, but now Cedric was starting to have his doubts on the certainty of not seeing into the future.

And then with all the confusion gliding across his mind, he had a strange thought.

_Man, I wish Hermione were here._

He twisted uncertainly and widened his eyes.

Why had he thought something as random as that? Hermione? Where the hell did she come from? But despite the weirdness, he thought about her. He wished that she were here telling him what everything had meant.

Why had Krum tried to kill him? Who had tried to save him…again? And what did that bloody dense forest have to do with anything?

Cedric made up his mind. As soon as night turned its usual turn into day, he'd find Hermione.

_She'll know._ Cedric was certain.

_She has to know._ Cedric was positive.

_She had better know. _


	7. Chapter 7

_What everyone wants from life is continuous and genuine happiness _

_Baruch Spinoza _

**Chapter seven: Talk of dreams, and bravery**

She was in the library…of course. Cedric didn't expect her to be anywhere else. Hermione was in the corner of the library sitting at one of the tables. Her head and hair were bent over a very large textbook. Ced watched in silence as the girl's eyes gazed intently over each page before turning to the next.

He hated to disturb her but…

"Would you care to explain the next one?" It just sort of slipped out there.

Hermione's head shot up from her book to face Cedric. She noticed that his eyes were red, and his hair was all in disarray. He looked disheveled.

"Did you sleep _at all_ last night?" There was concern in her face.

"That's how I got looking like this." He was bitter.

She stood up and put her book to the side. "Did you figure out who the hand was?"

"Nope but there's someone trying to kill me," he explained angrily.

"Who?" Hermione whispered.

Cedric looked around the room anxiously. Then he saw a familiar face that filled him with terror beyond terror.

It was Victor Krum.

His eyes were down looking at a book, there was a group of anxious preppy girls around him, but Ced could _feel _that Victor was not reading that book just for the mere pleasure of reading it.

He looked back at Hermione and bade he to sit down. He took up the seat opposite her. "I think—"

Hermione held up her hands. "Wait. Tell me your dream first and then I'll tell you what I think, then tell me about this potential killer."

Cedric began his tale. He told her about the forest, his attempt to escape, his paralyzed legs, how _someone_ had pointed a wand at him, and how a mysterious dark figure had saved him.

"It seems to me," began Hermione after a moment of silence, "that the forest you're walking down is like your life. You just have to keep moving on forward. The fact that you can't get out of the forest means that you can't escape your fate. But you want to. I can understand that, you're going to be facing three very dangerous tasks."

"When you were paralyzed that also meant that you couldn't escape whatever is in store for you. This killer…well I'm not sure about him. And then we have our mysterious savior again. That's definitely important isn't it? It's good that he keeps on saving you from your multiple deaths. But he's also preventing you from continuing on isn't he? I mean, you can't see his face, so he doesn't really want you to know who he is…"

She sort of trailed off and went silent.

Cedric took over. "But we still don't know who the shadow is."

"Why don't you tell me who you think is the attacker trying to kill you?" suggested Hermione.

"It's Vic—" He tried to explain but was cut off by the incredible blinding flashing light. Both he and Hermione started blinking when they saw the blond witch, Rita Skeeter, come out of nowhere with a smile on her face.

**Never **a good sign.

"Young love," breathed Rita with delight. Hermione looked down at her book and went bright red.

Cedric stood up and looked Rita in the eye.

"Do you have any words to say?" she asked when Cedric hadn't said anything.

Ced tried to speak, he tried to be brave, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Don't bother them," growled a voice behind Rita. She jumped and Cedric both jumped and turned around to find Victor Krum sauntering over towards them. "It's not really your business what they're doing is it? Just take your pictures and get out of the library your disturbing us."

Rita shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I've already got what I wanted."

She winked at Cedric and Krum then walked out of the library.

Hermione looked up at Victor. "Thanks. I really appreciate that."

Victor smiled and walked over to where Hermione had been sitting. He sat down next to her. "Really?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "It was really great of you standing up for me."

A pit began developing in Ced's stomach as he watched the two of them talk.

_There's the reason why you're not in Griffinydor,_ he reminded himself bitterly. _You're not brave. You belong in Hufflepuff._

He wasn't bold like the Bulgarian. And he never would be.

_You're kind. You're decent. _

Yeah, he was both of those things, but at that moment he wished he could have told off that stupid blond witch. He wished that Hermione had been amazed by his own bravery, instead of Victor's bravery.

He turned to face Hermione and Victor who were now laughing and smiling at each other. They looked happy.

"Have you ever read Dickinson?" Hermione asked Victor.

_I have._ Cedric thought sadly.

"No, is he like Charles Dickens?" returned Victor.

_No, you idiot._ Cedric was angry.

"Not exactly," laughed Hermione. She was enjoying this.

"Uh," said Cedric who had decided to butt in, "could we continue our conversation? I mean...we still have alot to cover."

Hermione looked up at Cedric. Then she looked back at Victor who smiled happily at her. She returned to Cedric. "I'm a bit busy here. We're in the middle of debating between Emily Dickinson, and Charles Dickens." The girl paused at watched Cedric's face. "How about during lunch today?"

"Okay, sure, that's fine." And Cedric left the library.

But it was not okay for Cedric. For some reason, and he didn't understand what it was, he really was angry that Hermione was talking with Victor.

His mind gave him a logical explanation, "_You wanted her to help you. You're annoyed that she got distracted and you still have no idea about your dreams. It's as simple as that." _

But his heart wasn't so sure about an answer as simple as that.

_No_. Cedric laughed aloud and shook his head. _That's idiotic. I…have no interest in a fourth year girl. _

Now all the boy could think about was Hermione. Her confused expressions and upturned eyebrows filled his mind. Her eyes flooded the gates of his soul.

_Stop!_

There were more important things going on right now than his heart.

If Cedric's dream had been a prediction that there was one thing he was certain of: Hermione was falling for a potential murderer who would try to kill him.


	8. Chapter 8

_Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory_

_Benjamin Disraeli_

**Chapter eight: Remember the love? Remember the dream?**

His lips dove expertly into hers. Cho's fingers were wrapping around his golden hair delicately. They leaned against the side of the castle. It was right after Potions class and Cedric couldn't really wait any longer.

In truth, he had felt guilty about having Hermione's face swirl in and out of his thoughts during Potions class. He had taken Cho to the side of the castle. It was more than just a secretive place where two teen wizards could snog; it was also an important place for the two of them.

It had been the spot where Cedric had told Cho how he felt about her years ago. Cedric had worked so hard to tell her. He had asked Sam to help him out. He'd rehearse with Sam and his other friends what he was going to say to her. It had been a cold day in November when Cedric had expressed his feelings.

Cho had been with her friends when Cedric spoke to her. _Can I have a word?  
_

She smiled at him and blushed. Secretly she had liked him too. _Sure._

He led her to the side of the castle. There was a fountain in the back of them, and most people didn't go around there. It was more for the kids who really wanted some peace and quiet. Most wizards and witches at Hogwarts wanted the exact opposite.

_Listen Cho. _He had begun.

_Yes? _Cho replied.

_Well, _this was the difficult part for Ced. He had never been any good at talking about his feelings, let alone confessing them to a girl.

_Ikindofhavethisthingforyou_. His words came out in one big blur.

But Cho didn't seem to mind. She giggled. _Come again?_

He took a deep breath. She deserved better than hearing his feelings straight out in the open.

_See Cho, I know that we don't really know each other very well. I'm in a couple of your classes, and we talk every so often. But I'm going to tell you something you don't know about me. _

The girl of his dreams had looked at him with confusion but she nodded for him to continue.

_My mother and father have been married for 20 something years. They fight constantly, they disagree all the time, and it's really hard to see sometimes how the two of them fell in love. But sometimes when I look at the two of them, I can see my father look at my mother with nothing but the deepest love in his heart, even after all those years._

Here it comes._ That's how I look at you. _There, he had said what he wanted.

There were tears in Cho's eyes. _That's how I look at you too._

He bent down to her and kissed her softly on the lips.

Now, two years later, he could afford to be a little bolder with Cho.

Finally once there was no more air in Cedric's lungs he stopped kissing her and pulled away. "Are you feeling any better love?"

She looked up at him guilty and shook her head from side to side. "What if something bad happens to you Ced? What if you're right about what you said, and you die?"

Cedric gently brushed away a tear from her cheek. "I'm not going to die."

"But it would be all my fault," cried out Cho. "_I_ made you enter this stupid thing in the first place. And the worst thing is that I only did it for selfish reasons, just to say that you were my boyfriend. I did it just to throw us in the spotlight. I'm the worst girlfriend in the world."

"No you're not." Cedric smiled.

_I am however the worst boyfriend in the known universe._

Cho sniffed. "Do you want to have lunch together?"

That set off the alarm in the boy's head. "No, I can't."

"Why?" There was no trace of suspicion.

Cedric put his arm around her shoulder and the two started walking back to the building. "You don't want to know."

"Let's hear it."

"I'm supposed to meet with Hermione Granger. That's the girl from yesterday, who you…met. She's been helping me figure out these dreams that I've been having for the past two nights."

There was silence. Cho remembered Hermione very well. She remembered more things than Cedric did. She remembered the way that Hermione had looked at Cedric. But then she remembered what Hermione was doing for Cedric. That was more important at the moment.

"She's like your psychologist," Cho commented.

"You could say that."

"Do you have to pay for the sessions in advance, or does she charge by the hour?"

"You don't mind?" Cedric guessed.

Cho looked up at him and stopped walking. "If she makes you stop being scared, then I don't mind. If she can solve whatever's been bugging you, then I don't mind. As long as you're happy Ced, I don't mind."

Cedric smiled down at her and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you after lunch."

He ran off toward the library. He didn't really think of Hermione as being anywhere outside the library. For all he knew she could have lived in there. Lucky for him, he found her in the library. She was biting into an apple and reading a book at the same time.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that she wasn't alone.

Victor was by her side reading over her shoulder.

_Did she forget?_

Cedric walked over to Hermione and waited for her to look up. But she was so wrapped up in her book she didn't notice. Krum noticed and nudged her gently in the side. Hermione looked up at Cedric and smiled at him. Then recognition dawned on her.

_That's more like it._

"Victor," said Hermione.

"Yeah?" answered the Bulgarian.

"Could you give us a minute?" asked Hermione.

"Or maybe more than a minute," groaned Cedric. He didn't like the Bulgarian. He didn't like the way he read over her shoulder. He didn't like the way he looked at her. And there was some other reason…oh yeah he didn't like the way Krum had tried to kill him!

Victor left Hermione's side and walked out of the library. Cedric sat across from Hermione.

"Are you finally going to tell me who this killer is?" asked Hermione.

"I know you won't like it. But you have to believe me that it's true," explained Cedric.

Hermione nodded.

"It's Krum."

"What do you mean '_it's Krum_?'" asked Hermione flared.

"I mean, it's Krum who tried to kill me."

"As in Victor Krum?" she clarified.

"How many other Krums do you know?"

"I don't believe you."

"I'm shocked," replied Cedric thick with sarcasm.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's not because of that Cedric. It's because I've gotten to know Victor and he's a nice person and—"

She was interrupted by the librarian's cough.

Both the boy and girl turned to face the librarian. He stiffened as he realized he had interrupted some kind of private conversation. He said, "Cedric Diggory, your father's here. He wants to speak with you."

"Now?"

"Now."

The librarian walked back to his desk. Cedric began to walk away from Hermione when she called him, "Wait Cedric!"

He turned. "Yes?"

"This isn't finished. I can't agree with what you said, but we have to figure out what's going on and why he's the attacker. He doesn't seem like he'd hurt a fly."

"Tonight," he called back dryly. "Come to the Hufflepuff common room. I'll be there around nine tonight. If you still want to help me now, now that you know, then come. The password is _dormio bene_."

Hermione didn't reply as Cedric got closer and closer to the door to the library. Finally before he was fully out of the door he heard her call, "I'll be there."

**Ced's dad is going to come...maybe he can give some advice to the kid...who knows...so do you think Ced should live or die??**

**I'd love your feedback on this matter...cause im not sure yet and i'd like to know what you think...or not whatever...just thanks for reading this**

**thanks again to time lord lover for the reviews**


	9. Chapter 9

_Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. _

_Benjamin Franklin _

**Chapter nine: Dads give the best advice…mostly**

Amos Diggory was waiting for Cedric in Dumbeldore's office. When Cedric arrived Amos was so overjoyed he ran to his son and hugged him tightly. Almost cutting off air supply.

"Dad," gasped Cedric. "Can't quite breathe."

Amos straightened up and fixed his glasses. "Right, sorry. I was just chatting with Professor Dumbeldore here, he told me what happened that night."

Cedric swallowed and looked from Amos to Dumbeldore. _Don't get mad dad. Don't get mad._

Dumbeldore was smiling as he watched Cedric's face. But he stood up and excused himself, suggesting that both father and son needed some time to talk privately. Once the headmaster left Amos began his rant, a rant that Cedric had heard before many times in different forms.

"I don't _believe _this. I can't believe that Harry Potter is doing this! He just **couldn't** handle the fact that you beat him last year in Quidditch."

Cedric sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly dad, I don't think he put his name in the cup. He's only a fourth year, why would he put himself in mortal danger at such a young age?"

Come to think of that, why was Cedric doing the same thing? He was putting himself in mortal danger, he had the dreams, the uncomfortable feelings eating away at his gut, and death was just inches away from his beautiful and young face.

Then he looked warmly at his dad and remembered why he was doing this stupid tournament.

His dad put an arm around Ced's shoulder. "Listen, I know he's a Hogwarts student, but you can't forget that you are against him. You haven't any friends in this tournament, understand?"

Cedric really wanted to roll his eyes, slap his dad's cheek, and tell him to wake up and face facts. You needed as many friends as you could get in a situation like this. But Cedric was not brave. Cedric was not fearless. He was kind, and loyal, so he smiled at Mr. Diggory and said, "Yes I understand."

Amos' face turned into a smile. "That's my boy."

Cedric looked into his father's blue eyes, which hid behind his glasses. Those were indeed the eyes of a truly proud parent. Those were the eyes of a devoted fan, and follower. But what happens when you tell the fan that you're only human?

Cedric shook those thoughts from his mind. "I'll make you proud dad."

Amos smiled at his boy. "I know you will."

There was silence as father and son stood looking at the other. There were things left unsaid by both parties. But neither wanted to speak of his concerns aloud. They were not brave men. They carried their feelings very carefully so as no one could step upon them and destroy them.

They only spoke what they thought the other wanted to hear. But both men, both boys really, were scared of the future, a future they did not see nor understand. So each clung to the present moment, for that was secure.

But the father had to speak about his concerns. So he coughed and broke the silence. "Cedric, how long have you been seeing Cho Chang?"

This was a topic that neither wanted to discuss but it was the duty of the father to bring up these sort of issues with his son. Even if it was merely an attempt to keep his other feelings inside, buried forever.

But Cedric blushed just the same. "Oh dad, not this question."

"Come on son just answer the question."

"We've been seeing each other for two years," he answered shyly.

Amos coughed. "That is quite a bit of time. Have the two of you…ever…you know?" There were still some things so private that they could not be said aloud.

Cedric rolled his eyes. "No dad, not yet. Maybe soon but not yet."

_This is embarrassing. We're discussing my sex life in the headmaster's office. I never thought we've had the talk here._

"Is everything okay with the two of you?" The concerned Amos came out in this question.

_Do I tell him the truth?_ Cedric shrugged. _Sure why not?_

"Well, dad, we've been happy but for the past two days, I've been thinking about another girl." Cedric left his father's side and walked around Dumbeldore's office. He didn't really want to look into his father's eyes at this moment. What would his father think of him? He barely knew what to think of himself.

"Who is this girl?" asked Mr. Diggory with plain curiosity.

"You kind of met her…at the Quidditch World Cup…earlier this month." Cedric scratched his head.

"**That Weasley girl**!" gasped Amos. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his robe.

Ced did a double take. "Who?"

"Arthur Weasley's youngest, we were with them during the World Cup."

The blond youth sighed and walked back slowly to his dad. "It's not her. The girl's name is Hermione Granger. I met her two days ago in the library. She's been helping me with this…project I've been working on."

"You like her?" Mr. Diggory asked.

Cedric wrung his hands in the air. "That's the thing of it! I haven't a clue. I mean when I saw her with this other guy, Victor Krum, I was filled with all this rage and jealously that seemed to come from nowhere. But then there's Cho, and when I'm with her…sometimes it's so amazing. But now she thinks I'm going to die because I kind of suggested that to her. And I just don't know anymore."

Amos laughed. "High school really bites doesn't it?" He calmly put Cedric's hands down from the air and grasped his shoulders. "Listen, you know that you got your looks from your mother. I can't really help you with the multiple loves. I was more of a lust after all of them love only one of them kind of guy. But all I can say is that when you finally realize that you love someone, it kind of just hits you like lightning.

Everything finally clicks and you just understand. There's no extravagant music in the background egging you on, there's no light bulb above your head, there's just a moment when you see, 'Oh, I love her. She is the one that I'll gladly spend the rest of my life with, living, fighting, hating, and loving."

Cedric nodded. It was good to get those things out in the open with his dad. After all, when you can't turn to anyone, you can turn to your family.

Amos laughed. "After all, you don't have to think of this now. You're only seventeen. You have the rest of your live in front of you. You're just beginning and you have your entire life to think about true love. Right?"

Cedric's insides were breaking. _Tell him! Tell him about the dreams you've had. Maybe he'll understand. _

_And then again, maybe not._

"Right dad. I have my entire life to figure these things out. I won't worry about this anymore."

And Cedric wouldn't worry about this anymore, until he had to face them tonight, in his common room when he saw Hermione's face again.

**Meaningful father and son bonding...sure...still not sure about Ced's mortality I think its pretty good what do you think?**

**My heart goes out to you all who read this and review this. even if your reviews are bad i'd love to hear them so i can make changes or fix things. thanks again. **


	10. Chapter 10

_The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge_

_Bertrand Russell _

**Chapter ten: The Silent Killer, The Silent Friend**

He sat on the comfortable chairs of the common room and waited. He was alone that night in the Hufflepuff common room. The little ones were asleep already, and the third years and up were in Hogsmeade. Cedric had stayed back, now he had to find out if Hermione would keep to her promise and come or not.

The light from the fireplace caught Cedric's face. He was completely relaxed on the outside. His head was bent over a textbook and his eyes drifted from page to page. There was a ghostly glow about him from the fire but other than that there was nothing unusual looking about him.

But on the inside he was screaming. _Come on Hermione! I need your help! Why do you have to spend your time with a potential murderer when you could be with me? _

Then he would go back to feeling guilty. _God Ced, what are you saying? What about Cho? Did you forget that you already have a girlfriend you twit?_

Then the door to his common room slowly creaked open. A small figure with bushy blond hair slowly walked into the room. Even before the firelight caught her face he knew it was she. And he found himself smiling at her.

"You came." It was an obvious response.

"Yes I came," she answered stiffly.

Hermione made her way to Cedric's side. She took up a chair across from his. She smiled at him but then looked down at her feet. "I've been think about you," she said slowly.

Ced's head started rolling. "You have?"

"About your dream," she clarified. "I think that when you saw Victor appear as the killer, that wasn't really him. He represents the idea of the ideal person to compete against you, and he will compete against you…so that's one reason he invaded your dream."

Now that Cedric's head was securely in place he interrupted, "I bet you wish he had invaded your dreams Hermione."

Hermione scowled. "Anyway, another possibility is that you see him as a threat because he's your opponent. He's preventing you from carrying on, that's the paralyzing part. And then there's that mysterious helper. He's a difficult one, but I think that he doesn't want you to know who he is. That's why you never can see him, but he's out there and I believe that if you continue having these dreams eventually you'll see his face."

That sounded all well and good but Cedric had one idea he wanted to share with the group. "What if it's a premonition?"

The girl automatically shook her head. "No, dreams don't have any impact on future events. Your dreams are only manifestations of whatever craziness is going on in your head. There's probably more truth to tabloids than tea leafs."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "We're not talking of tea leafs, we're talking about two very intense dreams, which by coincidence, occur right after I'm chosen to compete in a tournament where it's normal for people to die."

Hermione leaned closer to Cedric. "Look, we cannot see the future. We can't do it through leafs, or signs, or dreams. Your dreams, although they seem real, aren't going to happen. Aspects of the dreams are brought to life through your actions and thoughts. I told you, the dense forest that you can't escape is like your life and destiny."

_Maybe your dreams can't predict the future, but mine can._

"So why Victor?" asked Cedric leaning away from Hermione. "I mean, if we're saying that he's in my dream just because he represents a threat, and just because he's my opponent, then why didn't I dream about Fleur? Why didn't I dream about Harry? It was specifically Krum for a specific reason; he's going to try to kill me. And I figure, it's not something that I did, it's for something I'm going to do."

She held up her hands in protest. "Victor wouldn't hurt anyone. He's very sweet and kind. You just don't know him."

"But I will," suggested Cedric. "Eventually I will because he'll try to kill me."

"Stop saying that!" screamed Hermione furiously. "You're not going to die."

"Eventually I'm going to—"

"You know what I mean," groaned the girl.

_She's worried about me_. Cedric like of liked that. She didn't want him to die.

Then again, neither did Cho.

"Listen," said Hermione. "I don't want you to die. Neither does anyone I know. If you honestly think that you're walking into doomsday, then…I'll…help you."

"What do you mean…help me?" asked Cedric perplexed.

"When you find out what the tasks are going to be, I'll help you train for them and stuff," she answered slowly.

Cedric stared at her. "You'd do that for me? You're ready to take time out of your day, out of your life, to help me stay alive?"

Hermione nodded. "I mean, what are friends for?"

Cedric shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

_Wait, we're friend? _That kind of made Cedric grin.

The bushy haired girl stood up from the chair. "Sleep well tonight Cedric, I think that you'll find your way through the mazes of your mind."

"But what's waiting for me at the end of the trail?" he asked her as she walked toward the door.

Hermione turned around to face Cedric. She brushed back her hair from her face. He didn't notice that as she did this, she stopped a tear from its travel down her cheek. "I don't know, but I know that you'll be prepared when you get there. Good night Ced."

Then she was gone. It had all happened so fast that Cedric needed to think for a minute about the events that had just occurred.

He had fought with Hermione, he had agreed with Hermione, and now he was missing Hermione. Oh damn her! But she was probably right. She had to be, because although Cedric believed his theory, he really didn't want to be right. He wanted his dream…to be whatever the girl had just said it was. Victor wasn't really Victor. But Cedric saw him more as an enemy now then he had in the dream. In the dream, he hadn't realized why Krum would ever kill him. But now maybe there was a motive.

Would Krum find out about Cedric's small, infinitesimal thing for Hermione? Could he guess from Cedric's attitude towards him? Would Victor feel threatened by Cedric so much that he would want to kill him?

But Cedric pushed those thoughts from his mind as he walked up the stairs to his dormitory. He flopped down on his bed and pulled the covers over his head. Soon he was fast asleep. And eventually the nightmare world told over Ced's mind.

This time he was back with the bushes. Like last time, the roots were trying to pull him down into his death. He was thrashing out trying to scream for help. This time his vocal cords were working. But even with the improved voice, his cries were useless as he fell closer and closer into the trees.

Then he saw the hand again.

"Grab my hand Ced!" called the voice.

And now Cedric grasped onto his savior's hand. The grip of the unknown man's hand was strong against the onslaught of the roots. Cedric pulled himself to his feet with the help of the hand, which then extended into an arm. The arm of the savior was cut and bloody but still strong.

Then Cedric saw the man's, well, rather the _boy's_, feet. Then very slowly Ced raised his head up to face the boy who had tried to save his life twice, and now at last succeeded.

Green eyes stared back at Cedric's own gray hidden behind glasses. Tips of jet-black hair hit the glasses but the boy pushed back his hair to see Cedric better. Once he pushed back his hair he revealed a scar in the shape of a bolt of lightning on his forehead.

Cedric smiled at the boy who lived.

Harry Potter smiled back at Cedric.

**WHOOAW who'd have thought?? i didnt just kidding. i've taken into consideration your thoughts on ced's mortality...and maybe i'll give him a chance at life**

**after all this is the boy who might live..thanks for the reviews i hope you keep likeing this as much as i do...if any of you have any life quotes that i could put in the beginning of a chapter and want me to use them let me know...thanks**


	11. Chapter 11

_Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation_

_Charlotte Bronte _

**Chapter 11 With a little help from an enemy**

There was black ink all over the floor of the library.

_Damn. _Cedric cursed silently and cleaned up the mess. Once there was no more ink on the ground he took up his quill again, dipped it into the half full inkbottle. He was trying to write a letter to his mother and father, but there were no words that he could find to explain anything.

It was three weeks since his dream about Harry Potter, and ever since then the world seemed to be turned upside down. He saw things in a different light. But more than that, he saw things through a different life, Harry's life. Cedric watched, as the world hated Harry. He saw how they glared at him. He heard how they talked to him.

More of the buttons started popping up everywhere. Cedric couldn't handle watching his face turn into Harry's and then back again. It was making him sick to his stomach. He had asked his friends to stop wearing them but they laughed and called him modest.

Hermione, of course, understood very well. Cedric, as he tried to write his letter, thought of her reaction to his dream three weeks ago.

There was a mixture of a grin and a frown on his face. _I found our savior._

She was in the great hall doing homework. A new place for her to set up camp. She looked up at Cedric.

Hermione smiled at him. _Who?_

_You know him. _There was a serious edge to his voice.

_Just tell me you git! _She rolled her eyes.

_Harry Potter._

_My Harry Potter?_

Now it was Ced's turn to roll his eyes. _How many other Harry Potter's do you know?_

So Cedric sat down and they discussed the situation. Hermione reasoned that Harry Potter signified something important. Cedric stuck to his theory of future events. Hermione wouldn't buy it. She assured Ced that there was no stock in dreams.

And he wanted to believe her so badly.

But as the weeks passed he realized that he couldn't. He felt that he owed a lot to Harry Potter. Even though the boy with the glasses had done nothing for Cedric in the present day, Cedric felt that one day he would. According the Ced's dreams Harry would save him. And now the golden haired boy felt involved in Harry's screwed up fourth year at Hogwarts.

Now as he looked at the blank sheet of paper, he realized he had no idea what to write about. He covered his eyes with his hands and wished to slip into the blackness of his closed eyelids.

But he heard a cough behind him. Cedric jumped up and turned around to face Harry Potter. Harry adjusted his glasses and looked shyly up at Cedric. But there was a look of determination on his face.

Cedric wanted to tell him how sorry he was about everything. He wanted to apologize for the entire school for the buttons, the looks, and the sneers. But he couldn't bring himself to stand tall like a man and say sorry. He wanted to tell Harry if he ever dreamed dreams of death or sorrow. There was so much he wished to confess to the fourth year wonder child, but he knew that he never would be about to be that brave.

The Hufflepuff seventh year smiled down at the fourth year Griffyndor.

"Hey," said Cedric. "How have you been?"

_How have you been? _He repeated that stupid remark in his head. _What the hell was that question?_

Harry looked up at Cedric. "I've been better I guess. Dealing with craziness is part of my life. But listen there's something important I need to tell you."

"What?" There was a hint of fear and uncertainty in Ced's strong voice, after all nothing was safe anymore.

"It's about the first task," explained Harry. "They're going to give us dragons."

And that's when the fear erupted into Cedric's heart. "Dragons?"

"Yes." Harry scratched his head. "I've seen them. We're going to have to fight them."

"You're serious?"

Harry nodded wordlessly.

"Thanks," Cedric tried to be calm even though the news shook his entire world.

"Don't mention it, Krum and Fleur already know. I figure, it's fair if we're all equally prepared for whatever they've decided to throw at us. This isn't a competition, it's more of a survival game, and I don't want anyone to lose."

Then Harry left the library.

Cedric was left alone with two new thoughts swirling in his mind. First of all, he knew what the first task was. He'd have to fight against a live dragon. He would stare down into the eyes of a creature that could crush him easily. He would run from a creature that could breathe fire, and was more than twice the boy's size.

Oh yeah, death was immanent for Cedric.

Then there was the second thing. This aspect gave the boy a small smile because it proved that he was right and Hermione was wrong. Cedric's dream had been proved to be true. An aspect of the dream had come to pass: Harry had a hand in saving Cedric's life. That meant that, maybe; just maybe, Cedric could see his future through his dreams.

The boy realized there was no way he'd ever be able to write a letter to his parents. He grabbed the quill ink and parchment from his table and started walking out of the library when he collided with Victor Krum.

Both boys found themselves on the floor in pain. There was ink all over Krum's clothing and a quill was slowly falling down to earth in front of Cedric's face. Cedric sat up and looked at Krum. His face was red and he looked very angry. Not only had the Hufflepuff pretty boy collided with him, but also now his clothes were ruined, thanks to the blond boy.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" Krum yelled angrily.

He stood up and looked down at Cedric. And Cedric flashed back to another part of the dream he had. Krum had stood just the way he was now, with the same anger on his face, and he was on the floor just like in the dream.

_Hermione was wrong. _

Cedric quickly scrambled to his feet. Maybe he could change the course of events in his favor. If he could fix this one tiny part of his dream, maybe everything would be all right.

"I'm so sorry Victor," said Cedric.

Krum didn't seem to care very much. "I was going to meet Hermione, I can't go looking like this!"

Now Cedric was a tiny bit pleased that he had ruined Krum's clothing. "I'm really sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Try staying out of my way from now on pretty boy," he pushed by Cedric and walked through the library.

_Pretty boy?_ Cedric hated that name. So many people loved calling him that. He didn't think he was a pretty boy. He never really considered his looks until people started mentioning them to him. Sure he hadn't any marks on his face. His eyes were silvery gray and his smile was warm. His hair was beautiful and golden. But he didn't see these qualities as qualities. They were more like an excuse.

_You don't want to fly because you think you're hair will suffer. _People would scowl. _You won't get your hands dirty in Herbology because the dirt will get all over your face._

He was probably the only person in the entire world who hated himself because he looked beautiful. If the world would stop judging him for what they saw on the outside, he'd be happy. And Cedric was willing to do almost anything for men to stop staring at him with jealously, and for girls to stop staring at him with gooey eyes.

Cedric picked up the inkbottle, the quill and the parchment and left the library. Well, there was one thing that Hermione had been right about. No matter if Cedric's dreams could see the future or not, Hermione's truth would still stand.

Cedric could not change what lay in front of him. He could not escape the dense forest of his destiny. He could not change his path, which had been laid out for him to follow. All he could change was how he entered the forest. And Cedric was damn certain he would not enter with a blindfold over his gray bright eyes.

**Not much happening in this chapter i'll give you all a better one soon...once again...and ill keep saying this cause its truth thank you all for the great reviews**

**your opinion means so much to me i hope you continue to love it and comment on it...happy first of october have a great month guys**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: its been a while so ill say it...dont own anything quotes...not mine harry potter...not mine but i still love it anyways **

_Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed. _

_Corita Kent_

**Chapter twelve Could fire make him freeze?**

"I have to fight a damn dragon!" he yelled at her. "No one told me I had to kill a dragon!" He collapsed in the chair beside her. "Hermione, what am I going to do? I'm not even allowed to know about the first task, everyone's going to have some kind of plan, and I'm going to go out there unprepared like a fool."

She shook her head from side to side. They were sitting outside the castle. Cedric had just told her about Harry's warning of the dragons. Hermione, unbeknownst to Cedric, already knew about the dragons. She had to help Harry prepare for the task, and she had to listen to Krum telling her about what he was planning to do. Hermione was half expecting Fleur to confess her secret plan any minute now.

But now as the golden haired beauty hung his head in sorrow she began to doubt her own opinions of dreams and the future. She refused to let Cedric know and instead coughed. "You will be fine Ced. You just a case of bad nerves, Victor's a bit jittery too these days."

Cedric looked away from her. He didn't really care what _Victor _was feeling. He just wanted Hermione to help him with what he was feeling. But he kept his thoughts to himself.

"All you really have to do," she explained calmly, "is figure out what your skills are."

_Well that's just terrific. _Cedric rolled his eyes. _The only problem is that I have no bloody idea what I'm good at._

"I'm a fair flyer," mumbled Cedric.

But he watched Hermione shake her head from side to side.

"What?" He was confused.

"It's been done before Ced," said Hermione.

The boy decided not to discuss the subject of flying anymore with her, especially since she knew what two other champions were going to be doing. Instead he moved on to another skill he was proud of. "I…I'm good at Transfiguration."

The girl shifted her weight on the chair from side to side. She put her chin in her hands. Finally she said, "That might work. You can use a wand, right? Well, if you're in some stadium with the dragon, maybe you could turn an inanimate object into an animate one."

He cocked his head to one side. "Come again?"

She groaned. "Pretend you're fighting a dragon."

"I can do that."

"Let's say that this dragon, for some reason, sees you as a threat because you're moving or trying to get at something. Well, what if we make it so you're not the only threat in the arena? If you transform something into a threatening creature—"

"Then the dragon will go after him instead of me!" finished Cedric.

He was smiling, thinking of Hermione's great plan, when a thought froze in his mind. "What if the dragon realizes that I'm the greater threat?"

The girl with the bushy brown hair narrowed her eyes. "Do you have any fool proof ideas for surviving that attack of a fire breathing dragon?"

"No," swallowed Cedric. "Let's go with your idea."

Time moved too quickly for Cedric, and eventually the first task caught up with him. He had tried not to think about the upcoming dragons by being with Cho, and doing schoolwork. But that fourth year kept bringing it back to his attention.

She would stop him in the hallway. _Are you practicing Cedric?_

He would nod and keep on walking, all the while feeling terribly guilty that he was not trying hard enough for her or for himself. Cedric had stopped having his dreams about his death but it seemed that Harry Potter was everywhere! Suddenly the boy who lived was all around the school, he was sulking to and from classes, or his faces was rolling around on those stupid Potter Stinks pins.

And then, the day of the first task arrived Cedric was not prepared. He was in fact prepared but as he paced back and forth in the champions tent he felt meek and alone. The night before Cedric had practiced his skill to the best of his abilities but his hands shook as he gripped his wand and paced the tent.

Fleur walked around in a small circle in the corner of the room. Victor was sitting on a bench and staring out at nothing. Harry had his eye closed and he was muttering to himself. All in all, not one of the champions seemed ready for what they all knew lay ahead.

_I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to get fried alive out there. _Cedric chanted to himself as he walked back and forth.

He felt sweat fall from his forehead down his cheeks. He hoped that no one noticed. They had their own dragon problems after all they wouldn't be concerned with Cedric.

So the boy decided to stop his pacing and just stood in place and closed his eyes. He thought with a smile about Cho Chang. He pictured very clearly what their last conversation had been right before he entered the tent. She had run down from the stands, her hair flying every which way. Her black eyes were worried and threatened to fill up with salty water. But there was a smile on her face as she ran to Cedric and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Cedric had smiled and hugged her back. Her hair was soft against his cheek. Then she took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly.

_I want you to know, _she had told him, _how much I care about you, and how much I will always care about you and love you._

Well, that had surprised him. That had pushed him back a bit. He had been feeling guilty about his new semi-obsession with Hermione. What Cho had said made him slightly worried, and a little bit guiltier. But the girl with the raven-black hair smiled. _Listen, I'll go now. I just want you to know that you're not alone, I'm rooting for you, and I'll root for you forever. _

Those words stayed with him even now as he closed his eyes and thought of his girl tenderly. But his daydreams were rudely interrupted by a whispered voice.

"Psst!"

Cedric turned to the source of the voice. It was coming from the side of the tent where Victor was sitting and staring out into eternity. Krum turned his head to the source of the voice and stood up to inspect the possible intruder.

Cedric could just make out the voice ask, "Victor? Is that you?"

"Yeah," said Victor. "Is that you Hermione?"

"Yes," said Hermione.

And suddenly all of Cedric's earlier confidence was washed away as he watched Krum talk to the other side of the tent.

"You'll be great Victor," whispered Hermione. "You just have to concentrate."

_That's what she told __**me**_. Cedric thought sadly as more thoughts of Cho faded from his mind.

Suddenly there was a rustle of tent fabric and Hermione jumped out and hugged Krum. He hugged her back and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Rage, hot and dangerous, flew through Cedric as he watched the two teens in love. He turned away from them and tried not to pay attention.

He was still in a blur as Dumbeldore walked into the tent and told them to reach into a bag and pick out dragons. All he knew was that his hand was diving into a bag and came up with a little tiny miniature of a dragon. The dragon looked up at him and swished his tail at Cedric. Cedric looked back down at the dragon with dull eyes.

When they told him he was going first, he was unshaken. Well, except for his hands. They were still shaking and clutching his wand. Then suddenly he heard his name ring from outside the tent. "And the first champion, is Cedric Diggory!"

He heard his name being chanted outside in the stadium. His fans, and admirers were waiting for him. And he was about to walk out completely alone to meet them when he heard his name called from behind him. "Hey, Ced."

The golden haired youth turned around and found Harry looking at him. Green eyes bore deeply into Cedric's own feeble gray. He felt déjà vu as he and the boy locked gazes. Then Harry spoke, "Good luck Cedric. You'll be okay, just breathe."

And as he walked outside into the glaring sun to face a dragon and possibly end his life, he felt comforted by Harry's words. It was more than the words it was the dream again. It was the fact that it was Harry who told him he would be okay that made it seem true.

So maybe Cedric would live to see another day. He would live to see Cho's eyes look deeply into his own one more time. He'd watch her smile up at him again. So he took a deep breath and walked to the arena. The fans were all quiet as they watched him. He heard no sound except for his own breathing. And there was the golden egg, which he had to get, sitting there innocently.

The sunlight seemed to reflect the golden egg and made it shine. Cedric made his way over to the egg when he saw two huge feet crash down inches away from his face. He was knocked off his feet and flew into the rocks behind his head. As he stood up he could feel the blood traveling down his face and hands.

_You might be hurt Ced, but you're not dead yet._

So he stared menacingly up into the eyes of the dragon and ran behind a rock. Then he took out his wand and zapped the rock into a dog. The dog started barking madly at the dragon and suddenly the dragon had to make a choice between the quiet 17-year-old human or the annoying yapping dog.

The dragon dove for the dog and Cedric dove for the egg. But inches away from the dog's face the dragon changed her mind and instead turned on Cedric. Thankfully Ced was about to grab the egg when the dragon started shooting out her fire. So Cedric was only slightly burnt when he reached the egg and held onto it for dear life.

At the end of the battle he was bleeding from his head and his hands. Cedric's arms and legs were bruised. The dragon's fire had burnt a part of his back and he couldn't quite move it very well. But none of that matter, it only mattered that he was alive. He was alive for one more day. So the bruised and battered Hufflepuff champion smiled at his dad in the stands. He looked thankfully at Hermione's wise eyes.

But he saved the best for last. She ran past the rest of his fans down the stairs of the stadium and into his arms. He welcomed Cho warmly and tried not to cringe as she ran her fingers lightly down his back.

"You're not dead," she whispered into his shoulder.

"I told you," he said with a laugh.

They kissed and for the moment it seemed to Cedric that his nightmares were over for good. Everything for the moment seemed like it was perfectly in place and would never change, just as long as he held Cho.

But, as with all things, it was only for a moment.

**Hmm...whats going to happen now?? cho said she loved hiim...did anyone notice he didnt say anything back?? i did...i would love any comments **

**just tell me what you think about things so far...sorry i havent written for a couple of days i hope you havent forgotten about me...love you all bye**


	13. Chapter 13

_Life is just one damned thing after another _

_Elbert Hubbard_

**Chapter thirteen: The Hardest Task is Saying No**

Shrieks of joy had echoed through Cedric's mind for days after his victory against the dragon. And he was totally happy for those short days. Then after some time he figured it was best to open this golden egg that had caused him so much trouble. As he twisted open the lid an ear-piercing shriek escaped from the egg.

At first Cedric listened intensely to the noise but once he could no longer stand the pain in his ears he quickly closed the egg. And he found himself wishing that he hadn't gotten the egg because now he had to continue on this long hellish road.

So he tossed the egg to the side and tried to make himself forget about his unsolvable clue. At first he was unsuccessful because it kept coming back to his mind. But then, as life would have it, something came along that made the hero forget his quest.

The Yule Ball was slowly approaching.

It inched itself closer and closer to Cedric as a knife would inch closer and closer to someone's head. One would have thought that Cedric was in the best position of all. There was no need to get up the nerve to ask someone to the dance, because he was already going out with a girl who loved him and cared for him. Easy right?

Wrong!

Cedric wanted to ask Cho to the ball but as he found himself asking the question he thought about Hermione. And he started picturing what it would be like going with her instead of with Cho.

Hermione would walk down the steps to the Great Hall in a beautiful gown. He would be there to meet her at the bottom and he'd smile at her. She would blush and return his smile. They would dance together the entire night. When the boy and the girl at last grew tired, they would sit and talk together.

And the boy would ask the girl about her life, her family and friends, what she wanted to become, and who she was. The girl would teach the boy all the things that were missing from his life. She would teach him about philosophy, and what it meant to be alive. They would both learn about love together.

Images of his daydream danced across Cedric's unhappy mind constantly. It was even worse than fighting a dragon, because he could tell no one about his problems. He could talk to his father, but his father had left Hogwarts to return home.

Cedric could confide in his friends but they would shake their heads. _You have feelings for a fourth year?_

So he found he could confide in no one. And the Yule Ball came closer and closer. Cedric had no idea what to do. All around his common room his friends and classmates laughed about the girls they were taking to the Ball. No one ever asked Cedric whom he was taking.

They all assumed it was Cho. It was obviously Cho Chang. Who else was prettier? Who else was smarter? Cedric would take nothing less than the most beautiful and popular girl in the school right?

And Cho, oh she was so sweet. She did not mind that Cedric had not asked her yet. He had no idea why, but she did not mind.

Cho would be the safe choice. That's the way it was with Cho. But Cedric, for the first time in his life, did not want the safe reliable choice. He wanted Hermione next to his side as they walked together into the ball.

So there it was mere weeks before the ball that Cedric decided to gather up the remnants of his courage and ask Hermione to the ball. He was sure, well almost sure, that he could do it. All he really had to do was explain to her that he kind of, sort of, maybe liked her. And what if she asked why he wasn't asking Cho? What was he going to say to that?

The Hufflepuff boy did not know, he did not think. All he knew, as he ran around the school searching for her, was that he was going to ask her and that was that. At last he found her outside the castle by Hagrid's hut. She was talking with that redheaded boy, Ron Weasley. Suddenly Ron left her and Cedric was free to talk to her.

Cedric found his feet running towards Hermione. At last he reached her side.

"Ced," she said smiling up at him. "Is something wrong? Did you have another dream?"

Cedric took a deep breath and gazed down at Hermione. "No, I have to tell you something. Actually, it's more of a question, or really kind of a request…"

"Yes?" Hermione asked.

_She's going to say no. She's going to say no and then where will you be? Then what will you do? You'll be the idiot who was turned down by a fourth year!_

But Cedric pushed those thoughts away from his mind. "Hermione will you, would you like to—"

He would have said it, if not for the loud voice that stopped him.

"Hey Hermione!"

She looked over Cedric's shoulder and Cedric turned around to face the man who had so ineloquently interrupted Cedric's speech.

The voice belonged to Victor Krum.

He strode up to the two and pulled Hermione to the side. He whispered something in her ear. She looked at Cedric, and then looked back at Victor. She nodded. He smiled, picked her up and hugged her fiercely.

Then he slowly let her go, all the while smiling broadly. Victor looked at Hermione and then turned around and ran back where he came from.

"That was odd," commented Cedric.

Hermione turned away from Cedric. "He just asked me to the Yule Ball."

And then Cedric's heart ripped open. "Oh, really?"

She turned back to Cedric. "Yeah, and I said yes."

"So you feel completely comfortable going to a ball with a murderer?"

She rolled her eyes. "He hasn't murdered anyone Ced."

"Yet." He reminded her.

Hermione stomped her feet on the ground and shoved her hands into her pockets. "You are impossible Cedric. You just survived a dragon, and won! Shouldn't you be happy? Why don't you spend some time with Cho? If you're the one who keeps thinking he's going to die, why don't you embrace her in these moments that seem so few and far between?"

She stared at him expecting an answer.

All he wanted to tell her was the truth. _I'd rather embrace you in these moments of my life. But I cannot!_

So he nodded and turned away. "I'll see you soon."

And he walked slowly back to the castle with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Cedric wasn't looking where he was going and bumped into Cho.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"Do you want to be my date to the Yule Ball?" he asked.

"Sure Ced, I'd love to go with you." She smiled up at him. Then she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked taking her hand.

"Your face reminded me of someone else's face I saw today," she explained.

"Whose face?"

"Harry Potter's," she said simply.

Cedric widened his eyes. "Harry Potter? As in the boy who lived?"

Cho nodded. "His face looked like that right before he asked me to the Yule Ball."

He held up his hand. "Wait, he asked you to the Yule Ball? What did you say?"

"I said no. He seemed kind of sad about that so I told him that I would want to go with him but someone else already asked me."

"So Harry Potter likes you?" asked Cedric trying to put together the pieces.

The raven-haired girl nodded. "I guess so."

"When did he ask you this?"

"Only a few minutes ago, he was in the owlery, and so was I. That's when he asked me. Is everything already Cedric?"

Cedric couldn't really answer her. All this time he had been trying to find someone who would understand him and his weird love of Hermione. He had never thought that the boy in his dreams would be the one who would help him. Cedric really had no idea if Harry would care at all about Cedric's problems, but it was worth a shot. Harry had experienced a similar let down that day as Ced had. Maybe he would understand.

Maybe.

"Was he still there when you left?" asked Cedric.

Cho nodded and Cedric gave her a quick kiss and took off in a run. He ran up the ever-changing staircases and finally reached the owlery. Cedric did not go to up there often, as he had no personal owl of his own. But now he had a reason. He reached the door of the owlery and found Harry with his back to Cedric looking out one of the windows.

"So you're the one in love with my girlfriend."

**Will cedric confide in harry potter?? the boy who saved him once in reality and twice in dreams?? more will come soon...at least now we know that ced likes hermione...did anyone realize that before she says yes to krum she looks at Cedric?? maybe she likes him too? wouldnt that be great if harry got cho and cedric got hermione?? you have to read to see what happens love you all..bye**


	14. Chapter 14

_If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change_

_Buddha_

**Chapter Fourteen: Listen to Me!**

Harry whipped his heard around and faced Cedric Diggory. Cedric casually leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

The fourth year attempted to open his mouth but Cedric shook his head. "Listen, it's alright, really. I just want you to know something too. I'm probably, falling for your best friend."

A curious look crossed over Harry's face. "Do you mean Ron?"

Cedric rolled his eyes. "No, I mean Hermione."

"That makes so much more sense." Harry laughed. "But why are you telling me this? And why did you burst in here accusing me of loving your girlfriend?"

The golden haired youth walked slowly over to the boy with the jet-black hair. He smiled. He laughed. "I thought that you, out of all people, would understand what I am going through. We both like girls who do not see us."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"What?" Cedric raised an eyebrow.

"Come on Cedric, you can get any girl in our school to go out with you. I'm nobody. There's some difference between our circumstances. Besides you are dating the most beautiful girl in the entire world, how could you possibly be unhappy?"

Cedric looked directly in Harry's eyes. "And you are the most famous wizard in the entire world, how could you possibly be unhappy?"

The green-eyed boy nodded. "I see your point. I guess I do know what it's like for everyone to see you in a certain light, and it might even be a positive light at that. But they've got it all wrong haven't they? Because we cannot ever live up to be the people they want us to be. And I do not think I have ever met anyone else who feels that way."

Cedric walked away from Harry and looked out the little window watching the wind whip at the trees. "So you see why I came to talk to you?"

"Not really," replied the boy behind him. "But I'm beginning to. What do you intend to do now that you have these feelings?"

Ced closed his eyes and hit his hand on the windowsill. "I've haven't a clue. Actually, I asked her to the Yule Ball, but Krum got to her first I guess. But it's more than that, I was afraid to ask her out."

At this Harry opened his mouth. He was glad the 17-year-old could not see his face. He was shocked. How was that even possible? Words that Harry could never say tried to escape from his mouth. He wanted to tell Cedric that he knew exactly what he felt all the time. He wanted to tell Cedric about fear, real unearthly fear of another. Harry wanted to tell the mature Hufflepuff boy about the fear of dreams, the fear of the future, the fear of reality.

But he could never speak those words. Even though Cedric had opened up to Harry, he could not reciprocate. Instead he said, "Really, you were afraid?"

Cedric's golden haired moved up and down in a nod. "Terrified. It's maddening isn't it? I want to be with her all the time, but I could never tell her that."

But it was not only that that scared Cedric. There was so much more that he kept locked away in his heart. And he wanted to reveal everything to the boy who lived. But the fear that he spoke of to Harry engulfed him still, and he could not get the words out.

"I know what you mean," the fourth year said.

There was silence in the owlery. Well silence between the humans, the owls kept on yapping and hooting. But then Cedric broke the silence. There was something he had been meaning to confess, and this, this he could probably say without any fear.

"Did I ever thank you Harry?"

"For what?" Harry asked.

_Saving my life three times. _Cedric thought.

"Telling me about the dragons," he said turning around to face the boy. "I really owe a lot to you."

"Forget it," Harry said. "It was necessary. Everyone deserves to be given a fair chance, especially when he is about to face something deadly right?"

Cedric nodded. "I am also sorry about Cho."

Harry blushed. "Why?"

"Sometimes I think someone else deserves her more than myself. Maybe she deserves someone better than me," Cedric explained.

Potter took off his glasses and wiped them with his robe. He put his glasses back on again and rolled his eyes. "I am not the best person to judge this, being biased and all. But I have to ask you one question. Does she love you?"

Cedric could not help but smile. "Yeah, she does actually, she told me that she loved me right before I went to fight the dragons."

And as hard as it was for Harry he smiled too. But now he had to ask a harder question to the confused adolescent. "Do you love her Ced?"

Now Cedric started walking around and around the owlery. It was more like pacing but Cedric preferred to think of it as brisk, angry walking. "I always thought that I did love Cho. But now, with Hermione, I just do not know anymore. Whenever I talk to Hermione I feel brilliant, like I could sing or laugh. But then I think about Cho, and all I feel is guilt. And it just gushes out of me like a volcano. When I'm with Cho I love it, but I find myself thinking about Hermione."

Now it was Harry's turn to lean against the wall. "There is one clear thing in this entire mess of information."

"What?" Cedric was desperate for anything clear-cut and simple.

"If you do not love Cho, then you certainly do not hate her. And I can see this because you obviously care enough about her to hate yourself for thinking about another girl. And you do love being with Cho. It's clearly written on your face when you talk about her. But I can also see your guilty face when you say Hermione's name, and it looks like a guy who is head over heels."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Well, it's not like you're going to be with Cho forever right?" Harry laughed at his own question. "She's not going to be the last girl you go out with right?"

Cedric pushed his death dreams away and managed to chuckle. "I guess so, why?"

"Well," said Harry straightening his glasses. "Go with Cho to the ball, stay with her for a little longer. And see if these feelings for my friend go away. After all, it might just be a crush you feel for her. See how this year unfolds, and maybe next year, after you graduate, you'll come back to this school, single, and see that Hermione's really the girl for you. But, come on Ced, you've got your whole life in front of you."

Cedric bit his lip. "My dad said that too. But…see…the thing is…"

"What is it?" Harry walked over to Cedric. "Is something wrong?"

_God I wish to heaven I could tell you this. Damn my bloody cowardly heart. Harry, _Cedric thought. _How can you experience so much hardship in your life, and be so innocent? I might die in this tournament! You might die! Harry, what if I don't live through the year?_

Cedric made his head nod up and down. "I'm fine, but you know, there's always the possibility that we could die during these tasks, or the fact that you shouldn't even be in the tournament. What if the person who put your name in the goblet of fire wanted to kill you? And let's say that person was here, right now, in this castle, well don't you get scared?"

Harry swallowed. "Listen to me, you don't know what real fear is Cedric. Dragons or no dragons, there is a certain fear, which no child in the school has felt, except me. The fear that I could die has coursed through my young veins for three years. I've been closer to death than someone should be, at any age. But I can't let myself think about that constantly, because then I cannot live life."

That was the most mature speech Cedric had ever heard. It was so odd hearing it come out of the mouth of a boy. But he reminded himself with a sigh that this boy was no mere wizard. This boy was more like a man than Cedric ever was. He had escaped death three times. And he was after all, the boy who lived for a reason. Harry Potter lived, and kept on living through out all the disastrous and dangers of his life.

Well maybe it was time that Cedric acted like the boy who lived. He would take his girlfriend to the Yule Ball. They would dance, talk, kiss, and be in love with being young and alive. So Cedric turned away from Harry.

He walked towards the door when Harry said, "Hey Ced."

Cedric Diggory, turned around. His eyes were a mixture of bright and dull blended together as one. "What?"

"Did you want to put your name into the goblet of fire?" It was something Harry had been wondering while Cedric and he had talked. Was it likely that the most popular guy in the school had not willingly put his name into the cup?

"It's funny that you should ask that question," said Cedric. "I did put my name into the goblet of fire, but I did not want it to come out again that night. I figured that with so many strong, smart, and courageous people to choose from the cup would never have picked me to represent Hogwarts. I think that someone else should have been chosen most of the time."

Harry scratched his arm. "Funny, I always thought it would be you that was chosen. You just seemed so perfect, and so self-assure. I'm glad that you were chosen Ced."

Cedric eyed the boy thoughtfully. His eyes looked up at the lighting shaped scar on Harry's forehead. Then Cedric let his gray eyes meet Harry's green eyes. "I know that the goblet made some sort of mistake when it chose your name. And I know that everyone is suspicious of everyone now. The champions don't like each other. My father said I should not befriend anyone. But I'm glad that the goblet shot up your name from the fire. I can't think of anyone better to represent whatever this school stands for, than you."

After Cedric said that he turned away from Harry and walked out the door. He realized he would do the right thing. He would live out his life, whatever that was left of it, and take Cho to the Yule Ball.

But as he walked down the many flights of steps to his own dormitory, the death sentence hanging over his head never left him.

**Sooo...i know not much happens in this chapter...but i wanted harry and ced to have a connection...bond if you will...anyway think about it harry loves cho and cedric loves hermione but hes going with cho to the ball?? why is that you might wonder?? will he ever tell hermione he loves her?? will he get through the ball in one piece?? or even more...will he survive?? that in itself is a main question i still dont know if he will live or die...but please i love to hear what you think..please enjoy this...review this...i love hearing it...and ill write more and better...love you all bye**


	15. Chapter 15

_That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet_

_Emily Dickinson_

**Chapter fifteen: Confessions Heard By None**

He had agreed to meet her at the entrance to her dormitory at eight o'clock that night. Cedric stood at the entrance to her dormitory dressed for the occasion. He wore dress robes, which had been specially made for him.

Very slowly the door of the Ravenclaw dormitory opened and Cho walked out. Cedric's heart beat a little faster. She had straightened her long black hair and wore it down. Cho wore dress robes made in a Chinese style best fitting for her. It was a dark blue dress that seemed to sparkle as she walked to him in the candle lit hallway.

"God you're so beautiful," Cedric breathed.

Cho laughed. "Thanks Ced. You look very handsome too."

He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the lips. They parted and he took her hand to lead her down to the great hall. The couple started walking in silence when Cho asked, "Hey Ced?"

"Yes?"

"Are you scared about tonight?" she asked quietly.

The gears shifted suddenly in Cedric's mind. They where taking in Cho's words and trying to comprehend the meaning of them before a response escaped from Cedric's mouth. _Does she mean the actual event? _Cedric asked himself. _If so then she is right. Walking in front of the rest of the world and showing them at I am a champion scares the daylight out of me. _

But then another part, a darker part of his mind began having its own thoughts of Cho's question. _Is something going to happen tonight that I do not know about? _He looked at Cho. _Is something going to happen between the two of us that I do not know about?_

Now he had to stop guessing or else the boy would drive himself mad. So he sighed and said, "What do you mean am I scared?"

She smiled at him. Her smile was so innocent, so small. "I mean, you are about to present yourself to the entire school, with only me at your side. Everyone will look at you, everyone will see you, doesn't that scare you?"

He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Yeah, that terrifies me."

Cho raised an eyebrow. "What did you think I was going to ask?"

_Should I tell her? _

"I sort of thought," began Cedric uncomfortably, "that maybe, tonight would be the night that you and I finally…well you know…and I was wondering if that was what you said scared me."

The girl blushed from embarrassment. Her boyfriend brought up a topic she had thought about so many times. They had been going out for two years, she believed they were both in love; it simply made sense that tonight, of all nights, would be their first time.

And Cho had not even considered it as she readied herself. Why had she not thought about it? To tell the truth her mind had been occupied else where, on other matters. Well, only one other matter.

The matter of Harry Potter.

Ever since that green eyed, jet-black haired boy had asked her to the ball, he was all Cho could think about. Besides Cedric of course, Harry Potter took up most of the space in her mind.

That was bad.

She loved Cedric. She loved Cedric more than any of her friends, more than her parents, and sometimes even more than her life. But Harry kept on making unwelcome entrances around the corners of her mind.

It was a crush, Cho knew, and nothing more. She was with Cedric now, tonight, and he was her entire world. She resolved never to think of Harry again. Besides, he was only a fourth year, nothing compared to Cedric. So what if he had survived death at the hands of he-who-must-not-be-named? It did not matter now. All that mattered to the girl now, was the boy standing beside her, holding her hand, as they entered the great hall.

They entered the great hall and Professor Mcgonical told them to stand beside the other champions on the right side of the great hall. Harry Potter and Parvarti Patil met them. Cho smiled at Parvarti and Parvarti shook Cho's hand. They began chatting together as if they were old friends.

That left the boys alone with each other. They had not spoken to each other since the day at the owelery and obviously both boys were a little shy of the other. Finally the seventh year decided to be the man of the situation and start the conversation.

"Hey Harry."  
"Hi Cedric," answered Harry politely.

Cedric caught the forced politeness in Harry's voice. He raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"Should anything be wrong?" asked Harry with his hands in the air.

"What is it Harry?"

"Nothing." The boy looked down at his feet. "She looks really beautiful tonight Ced. You are a very lucky man."

A light bulb clicked on in Cedric's head. And with it a wave of guilt engulfed his mind. "Oh, right, sorry about that. Harry, if it helps I competently—"

But the boy could not finish that sentence as he looked over Harry's shoulder and saw her. Hermione was more even more beautiful than Cedric could imagine her to be. She glided down the steps of the great hall in a fluid motion. The girl looked briefly at Cedric and smiled at him with all the love she could show in a smile.

But Cedric, being the daft 17-year-old boy, could not see the love in her smile. All he saw the strong man, who waited for her at the bottom of the steps. Victor Krum bowed to her, she returned with a curtsey and he took her hand.

_That bloody Bulgarian just took Hermione's hand! _Cedric's insides wanted to rip out. But he was unable to do that because Mcgonical motioned for the champions to stand in a line and await for her signal to enter the great hall.

Cho and Cedric stood behind Hermione and Krum and in front of Harry and Parvarti. Hermione turned back to Cedric. She was beaming.

"Hey Ced, beautiful night isn't it?"

"Beautiful," Cedric echoed looking at Hermione.

"How's it going?" asked Hermione.

Before Cedric could answer Mcgonical gave the signal and the doors to the great hall were opened. Out stepped each champion with his, and her, date. Fleur and her beau were each dashing as they waved happily to the crowd of people cheering for them.

Hermione and Victor were welcomed with cheers of their own and they smiled broadly. Cedric and Cho walked in clutching the other's hand. Both held happy smiles on their faces. Inside their souls, there was guilt rotting itself away yet growing with each minute of happiness.

Harry and Parvarti were the last to enter. Parvarti was enjoying herself immensely. There was nothing she liked more than being at the center of everyone's attention. Harry couldn't have thought of a worse nightmare to occur in his reality. Not only did he hate having to walk in front of the entire school with the worst date hanging on his arm, but also the girl of his dreams was out of his reach, just a few steps away from him.

There was a part of Harry, a very small part, which wanted to hate Cedric. Hate him for being perfect, hate him for getting the girl, and hate him for having everything and wanting nothing in return. But it was not right to hate Cedric Diggory, especially after Cedric's confession to him in the owelry. He felt that Harry, a mere fourth year, was a friend.

So Harry could not hate Cedric even though as he watched Cho, he really ached to hate the pretty boy. He could not put on a convincing smile to the crowd around him, but they did not seem to care. They did not care about what was swirling madly around in his mind. All they wanted to see was a courageous champion. They wanted a heroic symbol. They wanted the boy who lived. Harry did not feel like he could give them that.

At last the champions made their way to the dance floor. Apparently it was traditional that the champions should be the first ones to dance. Cedric looked at Cho with pleading eyes.

"I'm not a very good dancer," he whispered regrettably to her.

"Neither am I," she whispered back.

He took her in his arms and prayed that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of the school, in front of Cho, in front of the girl with golden hair who danced next to him. After Cedric's feet seemed to understand the steps he began to enjoy himself. He looked at Cho and saw love in her eyes.

But then his eyes led him to look at Hermione. She seemed to have eyes only for Victor as they leaped about the dance floor. And then Cedric did not feel as good as he had felt before. There was a pit in his stomach now. He was thankful when the dancing finally ended and he and Cho could sit down together.

They began talking.

"Do you know that I've never been to a ball before?" he told her.

She raised her eyebrow. "Really, you seem the sort of boy who went to many of these type of events with a variety of different girls by your side."

The boy, her friend and love, rolled his eyes. "Honesty Cho, how can you even say that? You are the first girl that I've ever been with, the only girl I've ever kissed the only girl I've ever—"

He could not finish his sentence thankfully because Harry walked up to the two of them and coughed. He had been deciding whether or not to make a move. Obviously he could not make much of any move. Harry was not brave and did not approve these situations without a great amount of fear in his heart.

So it took all the courage he had inside of his soul to just walk up to the two of them. He had no idea if the words would come out, or even how they would arrive out of his mouth. Harry just stood there with a dumb look on his face looking at Cho.

And he could not stop looking at Cho. _God she is so beautiful. How can one person be that beautiful and have absolutely no idea of her beauty? _

Cedric seemed to sense the situation unfolding. He smiled at Harry.

He turned to Cho. "I'm going to get a drink for myself."

Cedric stood up and walked past Harry. He winked at the boy with the scar on his forehead and headed over to get himself a drink. He looked back to see what had happened. To his happiness he saw Cho standing up and walking with Harry to the dance floor. The night seemed to be going better than the Hufflepuff boy had anticipated.

But Cedric was afraid that he would see Krum and Hermione together. That would kill the evening in a way nothing else could, except of course his own death, that would certainly kill the evening. So to solve this problem the golden haired boy decided to go out of the great hall and into what he believed to be an abandoned classroom.

How surprised he was when he found that the two people he really did not want to see that night already occupied it.

**Wow i think we learned alot about the characters didnt we?? personally this might be one of my favorite chapters that ive written...but its your job to tell me what you thought of it. im almost positive i know how this story is going to go...finaally i have a clearish direction for this story...i really like it i hope you all do too...alll these characters with actual feelings..weird isnt it...this is not how i thought it would be at all but i think its going along okay...in the next chap there will be more of the yule ball for all of you who like angst...so dont worry and i hope you dont mind the small break from ceds pov into harry's i thought it was nessisarry love you all sooo much bye**


	16. Chapter 16

_To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else_

_Emily Dickinson _

**Chapter sixteen: Not Tonight**

Hermione Granger and Victor Krum were on the floor of the classroom kissing each other. And all Cedric could do, was stare at them in horror and sadness.

At first the couple did not notice Cedric's entrance. Cedric really wanted at that moment to leave them and finish what they were starting in peace. Now some would think that what Ced did next was an act of bravery. However the boy did something stupid, and rash, not brave or courageous.

He yelled, "Hermione!"

That scream caused Hermione and Victor to stop what they were doing and look up at the intruder. Hermione blushed as she looked in Cedric's eyes. Victor's face was full of anger and rage at being interrupted.

"Find your own room," he growled.

"I did not come in here for that purpose." Cedric sighed. "I have to talk to Hermione."

Victor looked at Hermione. He was scowling at her and she whispered something to him. Whatever it was that she said it worked. Krum stood up and dusted himself off. He walked up to Cedric. "If you so much as think about taking over, I will have to hurt you like you have never been hurt before."

_I do not think it is possible to be more hurt than I am now._

"I will not take too long," Cedric assured the strong Bulgarian.

Victor walked out the door. It slammed loudly behind him.

Cedric walked over to Hermione who was slowly sitting up. She still looked so beautiful even while her hair was unkempt and her dress was wrinkled. "I am sorry you had to see that."

He nodded and sat down beside her. "Yeah, it was uncomfortable watching the two of you…go at it. Krum did not make you do that did he?"

She pulled her legs close to her body and wrapped her arms around her knees. "No. But it was his idea. We were not going to…go at it, we were just going to come close. He said he would not rush things."

"How long have you two been going together?" Cedric asked accusingly.

Hermione looked away from Cedric. "I know it was the wrong thing to do, okay? It was just, in that moment, I wanted to do it."

"Why?" There was concern in his eyes. What had made her ever want to move that quickly? That was not the Hermione he knew, or at least the Hermione he thought he knew.

Hermione looked back at Cedric and rolled her eyes. "You should know Ced."

_I should know? What the bloody hell does she mean by that? _Cedric's mind was swirling.

"I do not understand," Cedric said at last. "Why should I know?"

How the girl wanted to tell him then and there. How she longed to just spit it out and let it hang there in the open for the boy to see and deal with. But she could not let the words escape her lips. There was so much fear that engulfed her that she could not bring herself to tell him. Not tonight, and maybe not ever.

"Never mind," she said. "Just forget that I said that. I made a mistake. I will be more careful next time. How are you Ced? I feel like we have not spoken in weeks. How are the dreams?"

_At least I have good news on that front. _The boy was happy about that.

"Well," he said with a smile on his face, "I have not had one dream since I told you about Harry Potter being the savior in my dreams. But that does not mean that I stopped believing in the truth behind the dreams. We still have two more tasks to go through, I have no idea about the second task, and I might die there. Then there's Krum."

Hermione wrung her hands in the air. "How many times do we have to go through this Ced? Victor would never hurt you. He has no reason to do so."

"Oh really, so what he just said not five seconds ago was normal Krum behavior? He's going to hurt me like I have never been hurt before, and that is normal?"

"But he has not hurt you yet Ced," replied Hermione. "He will not ever hurt you."

"How do you know?" Cedric asked sadly.

And then the girl did something the boy never forgot. She took his hand in her hand. She smiled at him. She looked into his gray eyes. "I will not let him hurt you. I would never let someone hurt one of my friends."

How could Hermione have known that her words hurt Cedric? Although his heart leapt at her touch, his heart sank at the mention of the word friend. She was offering him friendship, and he took it without question. Cedric loved Hermione as a friend, but he also liked her in another way. He felt like an awful person as they sat together on the floor in silence looking into the other's eyes.

So the fourth year and the seventh year held each other's hand. They looked into each other's eyes. They held smiles on their faces. There was so much to say to the other. The golden haired boy was confused. He loved his girlfriend but he loved the girl in front of him.

The bushy haired girl was not confused. She loved the boy in front of her, but he had a girlfriend. He did not love her back. So when she closed her eyes and kissed her boyfriend, she pictured Cedric.

There was a loud knock at the door. "Time's up Diggory."

Cedric let go of Hermione's hand and stood up. "I will let you get back to doing whatever it is you were going to do before I interrupted. Have a nice night."

He turned away from Hermione and walked to the door. He found Krum at the door. Cedric tried not to think about what Krum and Hermione would do once he left the room. Victor looked Cedric up and down. Then he smirked. "Did you get want you wanted?"

Cedric raised an eyebrow. "I talked to her if that is what you mean."

"I just want to make sure you left her the same way you found her." The Bulgarian gave an evil and wicked smile.

"She's not clothing Krum, she's a person and my friend." Cedric was angry now.

"Run away little boy," recommended Victor. "Go to your own girlfriend. Leave us alone tonight."

And Cedric did not say anything. He looked back at Hermione one last time and then opened the door and walked out of the room. The Hufflepuff boy was angry, hurt, and confused. He had finally come to a decision and he would not look back as he had done before considering this decision. He would follow through. That would show them.

Cedric went back into the great hall and began searching for Cho. She was sitting at a table alone. He went over to her side. She seemed so sad.

"Is something the matter?" he asked her taking her hand in his own.

She looked up at him and there were already tears in her eyes. "I will be alright."

He let go of her hand and hugged her. She rested her head on his shoulder and he felt little wet tears on his coat. "Let's go."

They both stood up and he took her hand to lead her out of the room.

Harry Potter watched this from a distance. He could not turn away from the two of them. Guilt ran through his body like the blood ran through his veins. He tried to recall the evening in his own mind. Cho had been so happy with him, she smiled as they danced together, and she laughed when he told her stories.

It seemed like she could have, maybe, sort of, liked him. Harry had been at a truly blissful state, his own Nirvana. The boy who lived was about to confess his feelings for the beautiful brunette who sat next to him at the table.

All he had to do was find the right words. But he was at a loss for words. Before he knew what was happening Cho burst into tears before his eyes. Oh how the fourth year Gryffindor tried to be a gentleman. He put an arm around Cho's shoulders and let her weep.

She told him to go away. She begged him to leave her alone. There was so much force in her command; there was so much sadness in her words, that Harry left her side without a word.

And he watched her from a distance ever since.

Now Cho and Cedric had gone off together. Harry could only imagine what they were doing.

But Harry could not have imagined what really happened after Cedric and Cho left. Cedric took Cho to the library. It was completely isolated. They were alone. They would be alone for hours.

Cedric began leading Cho to the Restricted Section when Cho stopped walking.

"What?" he asked her.

"Isn't the Restricted Section restricted?" Cho asked.

Cedric bent down and whispered in Cho's ear, "If no one supposed to be in there, no one will look for us there."

She gave him a smile and they walked into the restricted section.

Neither was in the right place to be making this decision. Guilt was their motivation. Lust was their follow through, and love was their excuse. The girl loved the boy and the boy loved the girl. But tonight was not a night when lovers met for the first time.

Cedric kissed Cho and she returned the kiss. They fell to the floor. She took off his shirt he began unbuttoning her dress. That was when images began filling his mind. Thoughts of the girl with the unkempt hair filled his mind and threatened to chock him. As he kissed his girlfriend he tried to remind himself that the girl he thought of did not love him. But the girl's smile would not leave his mind.

Cho kissed Cedric with a passion she did not know existed. Thoughts of the boy with glasses flooded her mind until they threatened to make her explode. She commanded her mind to cease from its wandering thoughts and focus on the matter at hand. But the images would not leave her mind.

"I love you," she whispered into Cedric's ear.

And the girl meant it with all her soul and most of her heart.

But that seemed to awaken something in Cedric. What they were doing was not moral, nor was it ethical. He felt like he was robbing Cho of a special and meaningful night.

What could he do?

The man in him wanted to continue this act, however unethical and immoral it might have been.

But instead he listened to the voice of the truth in him. This voice was quieter but its words spoke truer than the man's words of lust. So Cedric kissed his girlfriend, his almost lover, and sat up.

Cho whispered, "Is something wrong Ced?"

There were so many things wrong that Cedric did not know where to begin and where to end. It was wrong that he loved another. It was wrong that he thought of another girl while kissing his girlfriend. It was all wrong! And Cedric couldn't explain any of it to the beautiful girl looking up at him with eyes of pain.

"I was wrong about tonight." He managed to speak some truth. "This is too rash. I am sorry that I took advantage of you. We should do this in a normal place, without the secrecy, without rush."

"You don't want me Ced?" Her voice was full of pain.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Cedric looked down at her and smiled. "Of course I want you Cho. But we need to do this at a better time. This needs to happen at a better place. Do you understand what I mean?"

She nodded and sat up. "Sure." She kissed him.

They walked out of the Restricted Section; they walked out of the library. The first person they ran into coming out of the library was Harry Potter. He looked at Cho, and then he looked at Cedric. He saw sadness in both of their eyes. He saw Cho's hair in a mess, and Cedric's shirt with wrinkles on it.

So they had done it. Cedric had taken Cho and had…Harry could not think it. He would not let himself think of it. He walked right past them.

Cedric walked Cho to her room. She turned around before she went in and she kissed him passionately on the mouth. She did not understand why they had stopped. She was angry. She felt unwanted. But she would not show her anger, not tonight.

The boy walked back to his room. He flopped down on his bed. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. And tonight, of all nights, was when another dream came to haunt the already troubled youth.

**so Cedric stops having sex with cho because hes thinking about hermione...cho thinks about harry...harry thinks that cho and cedric had sex...not an easy topic for anyone in love to deal with...on top of that we have another death dream comming up that the hero must deal with...will he have hermione by his side now...after what he witnessed?? will cho still love him or stay with him after what happened...and didnt?? and will harry remain cedrics friend?? please read on and review i do love hearing all of your thoughts on the subjects at hand?? suggestions are lovely too**


	17. Chapter 17

_The irony of man's condition is that the deepest need is to be free from the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive _

**Chapter seventeen Here we go again**

The boy known as Cedric Diggory found himself in a forest, again. But there were no plants trying to grab his legs, and there was no stranger coming at him from behind. Cedric walked on through the forest. Suddenly, without warning, the trees on either side of Cedric began moving closer and closer to the boy. They were blocking him in, they were squeezing him inside their branches. Cedric tried to run but he found that the trees in front of him were closing off any way to escape.

He was doomed. He was trapped.

That was when he heard an evil, high-pitched, cackle that echoed throughout the entire forest. Cedric woke up in a cold sweat. He was safe for the moment. But the terrifying laugh stayed in his mind and would not leave. It had sounded so real, and so inhuman.

Then Cedric had a terrifying thought, even worse than the laugh that rang in his eardrums. _Where was Harry Potter?_

This was the first death dream that Cedric had where no one tried to save him. Logically no one could have saved him this time because everything was closing in on him. But, according to Hermione, this was only a dream, there was no logic, and instead there was interpretation. Cedric wanted a damn good interpretation this time.

Morning arrived with a groan as the sun pierced Cedric's blood red eyes. He dressed himself and walked out of his common room to the great hall.

Everyone was eating breakfast and sat according to their house. But Cedric decided to defy that and made his way to the Gryffindor table. He found Hermione sitting across from Harry and Ron. He sat beside her and she abruptly turned to face him. Her face was red.

"Cedric what are you doing here?"

Harry looked at Cedric briefly and then went back to his plate of food.

Ron was more active. "Mate, do you mind?"

Cedric raised his eyebrow. "Mind what?"

"Sit with your own house Diggory," he exclaimed. "We were in the middle of a conversation."

Hermione turned to Cedric and nodded.

Cedric really needed to talk to her. The red head just did not understand the urgency of the situation. He hoped that Harry would help out his case but Harry would not look his way.

Harry, unbeknownst to Cedric, had spent the previous night with red eyes as well. He was having his own dreams of death, anxiety, and destruction. But he could not stop thinking of Cho. Cho fluttered all over his thoughts. Then Cedric joined Cho and they were together. The two of them were laughing in the fourth year's mind. They were smiling, and they were in love.

But the golden haired boy knew none of this information. If he had known, if Harry had told Cedric all he wanted to say, Cedric would have clarified the situation for Harry.

"Listen," said Cedric to Ron, "I really need to speak to Hermione. It is a matter of life and death."

Ron saw Cedric's red eyes and Hermione's pleading look. He wanted to talk to Hermione for his own reasons. He wanted Hermione. He wanted Hermione in a way he had never wanted any other girl, or anything else before.

But Hermione was with Krum. Hermione did not love him. She never would love him. So he sighed loudly and nudged Harry in the side. He motioned for them both to leave for a couple of minutes. Harry was all to happy to comply and both boys left the table.

"Know anything about that?" Ron asked with a hint of anger.

"If you had asked me yesterday morning," said Harry, "I might have known. But now, I haven't a clue."

It was true. Harry knew about Cedric's feelings for Hermione. But since he believed that Cedric had slept with Cho, he was surprised to see that Cedric was talking to Hermione at all. This angered him. It angered him because he believed that Cedric was abusing Cho by being with Hermione, and abusing Hermione by leading her on. He did not understand Cedric at all.

Meanwhile at the Gryffindor table Cedric revealed the truth to Hermione. "I had another dream last night Hermione."

She tried to chuckle. "We all have dreams Ced."

"It was worse than the last two _Herms_," replied Cedric with a hint of annoyance.

Understanding washed over her face. "What happened this time?"

He coughed and took a deep breath before diving into another therapy session. "Same setting as the last two. But as I walked through the forest, the trees and the bushes started closing in on me. I tried to run forwards but I could not go on either and I could not turn around. This time there was no savior. This time no one tried to reach out and save me. And this time…I heard a voice."

"What kind of voice?" the bushy haired girl asked.

"A cackle," explained the seventeen year old. "A high pitched shrieking cackle. The kind of laugh that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The kind that makes your breath stop and your blood boil."

If only the boy had known that had he told this to another Griffyndor he would have gotten an answer. If Ced had told Harry about this cackle that makes your breath stop, Harry would have identified it instantly, because it was the same cackle that had haunted his dreams for fourteen years.

But how could Cedric have known that?

The girl beside him tried to give an answer that she believed was right. Maybe it would be right for her. Maybe her answer would be enough for Cedric. But only Harry could have answered Cedric's dream with the truth.

"You feel like everything is closing in on you," she started explaining. "You feel that your future is uncertain and is twisting itself around you so that you cannot breathe. There was no savior this time, because maybe for this upcoming task, you must solve it on your own. The cackle you heard could be your fear laughing at you."

It was the analysis of a true psychologist.

The trees, the closing in, that all made perfect sense to Cedric. But he could not convince himself that the terrifying laughter was merely his own fear. That was crazy! The shrieking laughter had been so real Cedric could swear that someone in the room made it.

"I still think it shows my future." Cedric would not be so easily swayed.

But before Hermione could reply Cedric's friend Sam came running up to both of them.

"Hate to interrupt," said Sam looking suspiciously from Hermione to Cedric. "But Quidditch practice starts in an hour. You should be getting ready." With that he gave Cedric an upraised eyebrow and walked away.

Cedric attempted to stand up but Hermione grabbed his arm. She pulled him down. "Wait Ced. You need to solve the egg."

_The egg? _Cedric wracked his brain for her meaning.

"That clue you got from the dragon smart one," clarified the girl. "I am sure that you need to figure out what is inside the egg. It won't be easy like last time. No one is going to tell you what the task is, you need to solve it on your own."

"Hey," laughed Cedric, "I do not admit to being smart. That's for the Ravenclaw kids out there."

"You seriously believe that you are what your house is?"

The boy nodded uncertainly. "You do not?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No I do not." She stood up and left the table.

As if on cue, Harry and Ron walked back to the table and sat across from Cedric.

"What did you say to her?" asked Ron accusingly.

"Huh?" Cedric's gray eyes were confused.

"You came, you sat, we left, you talked, and she left. What happened?" Harry asked.

Cedric looked from one boy to the other. "I have to go."

Then he stood up and walked out of the great hall.

There was determination in his strides. He would get the egg. He would figure out what that damn noisy shrieking was. He would survive the second task. He would live. Cedric Diggory would live. No one, no trees, no bushes, no bloody voice, was going to stop him from living the life that he wanted and knew he deserved.

**Hey all...i havent written for a while...well a while for me. what do you think so far?? i know not much happened but the egg...what will he do with the egg?? trust me helll solve it...i cannot stand that moody tells him about it in the book im totally changing that aspect hes going to figure it out...on his own...but now weve got another character wanting more from a relationship...ronny...what will happen to him do you think?? two people like hermione now...actually three people...including krum (yuck) love you all bye**


	18. Chapter 18

_Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile Franklin P. Jones_

**Chapter eighteen: Revealing Rain**

He did not really know how this had happened. Cedric was in the changing room preparing himself for Quidditch practice, but lying beside his feet was the golden egg. Why did he let himself bring the egg with him to practice? That was just weird and obsessive.

_I should not listen to Hermione all the time._

Everyone was staring at him. All of his teammates were in fits of laughter. "Come on Ced," they said to him as they put on their uniforms. "Can't you just relax and not think about the second task? You do not need to carry the egg around with you like it's your child."

But Cedric did not relax. After he finished dressing he picked up the egg and took his broom outside to the Quidditch field. His teammates were already out there in the air soaring in the sky.

Sam noticed Cedric's arrival and descended towards the ground. "Get in the air already Ced! Those clouds up there do not look very good. We've got to have a proper practice before the rain comes. Leave that egg on the ground, stop worrying."

Then Sam went back up to join the rest of the team.

Cedric laid his egg on the grassy floor and mounted his broomstick. Soon he kicked off in flight to join his team. He was the Seeker on the Hufflepuff team and so he did not need to focus on the game at hand. The boy could let his mind wander to other matters.

His thoughts turned to Cho. The golden-haired boy had not seen her that morning; he hoped that she was not angry with him. But Ced would give Cho time to cool off from his asshole performance the previous night.

_She should be angry. _Cedric was certain of it as he scanned for the golden snitch. _I acted so badly to her last night. She probably thinks I do not love her. Granted, I am not sure if I do love her, but I should not have dragged her into this mess that belongs solely in my head. _

As his head tried to wrap around this difficult issue, raindrops started falling on his head. At first it was nothing, just a small mist of water. The practice could continue and Cedric could continue scouting for the little golden ball.

But then rain started pouring down on the poor Quidditch players. However they held their heads up and kept the game going even as the rain dragged them down. Then Cedric started to hear music. It was very faint, but it seemed very deep, and beautiful with a melodic feeling to it. He could not make out the source of this music nor any of the words.

_What could this be? _The boy was confused.

He thought that he must have been going crazy. No one else seemed to notice the music so Cedric tried to forget about it and focus on the snitch.

Then others started realizing that there was plinks of music in the air. Sam, the Quidditch captain, finally heard the music too. He stopped in his attempt to fly the Quaffle through the rain. Instead he started soaring down towards the source of the noise. The rest of the team, Cedric included, followed in his pursuit.

At last they found what they were looking for, in the most unlikely of places. The music was coming out of Cedric's golden egg.

"Uh Ced," said Sam coming to a land, "your egg is ringing. Do you want to answer it?"

Cedric blushed and landed smoothly on the ground and grabbed his egg. It was soaking wet and felt cold in his hands. But sure enough the little specks of sound were coming from the egg. There was no unearthly noise. There were no shrieks that could break windows. There was singing.

"I am going to check this out," said Cedric uncertainly. He waved goodbye to his teammates and raced through the rain into the castle. Once inside the slightly warm castle the singing abruptly stopped.

_It'll only sing in the rain? _

Well that was odd. But then another idea came into Cedric's mind. _Maybe it needs to go in water. Maybe it is only understandable once it's in the water. But where am I going to find more water than the rain?_

Suddenly it dawned on him. There was a bathtub in the prefect's bathroom. Now that Cedric thought about it, he was in the perfect mood for a bath. With the egg in hand he made his way to the prefect bathroom and spoke the password.

Inside the bathroom he took off his shirt and his pants so that he was only wearing his boxers. He was about to remove his boxers as well when he heard shrieks of giggling and laughter echoing across the room.

"Hello?" Cedric asked the room nervously. "Is someone there?"

He did not expect anyone to answer but to his surprise a silvery figure flew into his view. It was a ghost. The ghost was a girl. She had long black hair tied back in two ponytails. And the girl wore big glasses and a smile on her face.

"Hello Cedric," sighed the girl.

Cedric blushed. "How do you know my name?"

The girl grinned. "I know many things Cedric Diggory. I am Moaning Myrtle. Not many things, or people make me smile, except for you, beautiful."

The 17-year-old was a little freaked out by the creepy girly ghost. He decided to ignore her and climbed into the bath with the egg. He waited for the water to fill up and he could not help but look up at Myrtle.

She was still staring at him. Her eyes were gazing dreamily down at his body.

_Great._

"You are more beautiful than she said you were," said Myrtle quietly.

This made the boy interested. "Who told you that I was beautiful Myrtle?"

Myrtle flew closer to Cedric and shrugged. "Some girl."

"What girl?" He was anxious now.

Moaning Myrtle giggled maliciously. Her dead eyes seemed to sparkle with nasty delight at Cedric's predicament. "I do not know her name. But she comes into the bathroom a lot. I normally hover around the stalls of the girls' lavatory, and I often hear her crying of you."

There was a girl…somewhere crying…about him? Was it a nameless face with a crush? That had happened before, and it was certainly likely. But Cedric had to know. So the boy who sought knowledge asked the ghost, "What did she look like?"

Myrtle twirled her hair. "You ask the most delightful questions. Well, I think she had longish midnight black hair. She had coal black eyes. And Cedric you should hear her cries. 'Cedric does not love me. What did I do wrong?' On and on she goes."

Suddenly Cedric's beautiful eyes widened. He knew the girl who had been crying over him, but it saddened him for two very weird reasons. The first reason was that he secretly wished that the girl who cried over him would be the one with the bushy hair and deep brown eyes. It also saddened him to hear that Cho was crying because he realized that she had not completely forgiven him for the Yule Ball disaster.

_Maybe you should have taken the next step with her_. This thought was accepted half of his mind. It was true; if he had slept with her that night it would have reinstated that he loved her. She would have been happy instead of depressed. Maybe the seventeen-year-old beautiful boy was in fact, as he believed himself to be, an ass. But then the other side of his mind fought back. _It would not have benefited your relationship if you had made love to her without totally being in love with her. If she had known you were thinking of Hermione, Cho would never forgive you._

As both sides of Ced's mind battled Moaning Myrtle stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you going to do now?"

What was he going to now? Should he confront Cho and confess the real reason why he stopped? Or should he confess instead to Hermione of his new feelings for her? _It would be stupid of you to tell Hermione, since she is going with Krum._

"I do not know," he told the ghost girl.

"I mean are you going into the water stupid?" Myrtle laughed at him. Cedric blushed grabbed the egg and settled himself in the bathtub. Before he actually attempted his experiment he let the warm water sooth his body. Cedric closed his eyes as the warmth of the water trickled through his from his neck to his toes. A smile was working its way across his face.

But then in the depths of his closed eyes he relived the memories of his most recent nightmare. He was able to block out the trees, and forest, but he could still hear that cackle. It was a cackle of horrific accomplishment. Cedric opened his gray eyes and found Myrtle still watching him.

"I do not get this much fun here," explained the ghost shyly. "I want to know what you're going to do with an egg and a tub full of water."

Cedric sighed and took a deep breath. He guided the egg under the water and then slowly opened the egg. Instead of an ear piercing shriek, or even plinked music, he heard a choir of voices sing. "_Come seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above the ground. An hour long you'll have to look. To recover what we took. An hour long you have to look, to recover what we took. Your time's half gone so tarry not, lest what you seek stays here to rot."_

Once the singing had ended Cedric resurfaced gasping for air. Now he was faced with a serious problem._ What the hell did that all mean?_

Well the boy thought things through best when he talked through them with someone. The only person with him was a dead little girl. That was not the best company for such an important matter as this, but this was about Ced's life, and he would look for help wherever he could.

"You heard all of that too?" Cedric asked the girl.

Myrtle nodded. "What's it for?"

"There's this tournament," began Cedric, "and I have to compete in it. I've been chosen to represent this bloody school. It has three dangerous tasks; this egg unlocks the clue to the second task. And now I have the wonderful task of figuring out what all of that singing meant."

Myrtle theatrically put a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "If the egg only works under the water, than I'd assume your task has to do with things under the water."

A light bulb went off in Cedric's mind. "The Black Lake!"

"But then there are the actual lyrics to worry about," contemplated Myrtle.

"Come seek us where our voices sound…means I have to go into the black lake," Cedric said. "Then there's the stuff about looking for something they took."

"What would you hate for someone to take from you?" asked the pale ghost.

Ced bit his lip. Possessions were never really important to him. He doubted that the thing the creatures took would be an object, more likely a person.

The girl seemed to side the same way. "Maybe I should rephrase that, what person would you hate to lose the most?"

Cedric did not answer.

Myrtle took her hand from her chin and looked at Cedric. Her eyes, though transparent, seemed to be able to see through Cedric. "Is it the crying girl?"

"Maybe."

"You'd have to be certain about something like this, especially since you only have one hour. Think about that, one hour to find this person you care about before he or she rots away. This is about saving the life of someone you care the most about, you have to realize who it is you'll be looking for."

For a ghost, she was pretty smart.

But Cedric had not answered her question because he did not know the answer. He knew he loved Cho with most of his heart and a bit of his soul. But the rest of his heart, and the entirety of his soul was consumed and filled with Hermione Granger? So whom would he hate to lose the most? Who would he save even if it meant his own death? He would have to jump into the bottom of the lake to find out, and until then just sit with his egg and ponder.

**Hey everyone...i know its been a while....a long long while....im really sorry school sucks....i hope you guys keep reading and reviewing this story...you make my world...and my day too...i love you all....oh plus heres a question for you alll....who do you think should be at the bottom of that lake waiting for him??? Hermione or Cho??**


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